Sentinel: Next Generation
by Brumeier
Summary: What happens when Jim's daughter is a Sentinel and Blair's son is a Guide? A series of stand-alone but interconnected chapters that peek into the lives of the Ellisons and Sandburgs. Rated M just in case. Better safe than sorry!
1. Arms Wide Open

_**Standard Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters from the series. Darn shame, that. I do own all the original characters, though, and all the other parts that come from my brain. _

_This first chapter was originally the first songfic for Songs for Sentinel. I had some feedback that suggested it would be fun to see more of the original characters, and so I gave them their own fic. Reposting this chapter (sans song) to get you up to speed in case you missed it._

**With Arms Wide Open**

It was late, or early depending on how you wanted to look at it, and Jim was tired. There was a lot about his job that he liked, but running surveillance wasn't high on the list. Normally he'd make one of the other guys handle it, but Jace had just had a death in the family and Ryan had picked up the extra caseload without having to be asked. Jim didn't want to be that kind of boss anyway, passing off the lame assignments and keeping only the really juicy ones for himself; not that Blair would let him get away with that.

Jim pointed his truck towards home, grateful he had the weekend off. He had a standing lunch date with Simon so that they could get caught up, though they did see each other whenever the PD contracted with J&B Investigations. Which was fairly often, he thought smugly. It had been Blair's idea, and he'd worked really hard to convince Jim to go along with it, but it had worked out better than either of them could have imagined.

When Naomi had released the dissertation without her son's approval, things could easily have blown up in everyone's faces. Luckily, Jim and Blair had been operating on a different level of communication and understanding after the Alex Barnes incident, and they were able to sit down and figure things out together.

*o*o*o*

_Blair stood at the podium, facing the roomful of media with a determined look on his face. Beside him stood Police Chief Warren and Chancellor Edwards, representing dual support from both Cascade PD and Rainier University. Jim, who stood a step behind his partner and kept a hand clapped firmly on his shoulder, knew that Edwards had only agreed to be there after a call from the mayor._

_ "Hi. Thank you all for coming." The noise in the room quieted as Blair began to talk. "As you know, both myself and Detective James Ellison have been the focus of much unwanted attention in the last few days. I'd like to take this opportunity to set the record straight._

_ "I have written a novel called The Sentinel, in the form of a dissertation. As some of you may know, this type of documentary writing style is very popular right now. The novel was released to Berkshire Publishing without my consent. It is unfinished and any publicity surrounding it was done without my approval._

_ "The main character was based on Detective Ellison, and I used his name as a placeholder in the novel until such time as the first draft was done, and then I had planned on changing it. Detective Ellison was the basis of the character because I admire his integrity, his dedication to his job, and his high moral standards."_

_ Jim leaned forward toward the microphones. "Trust me, I can't leap tall buildings in a single bound."_

_ There was some laughter from the audience._

_ "I will be pursuing legal action against Berkshire Publishing, and my novel has been put on hold until things get sorted out. I apologize to both the Cascade PD and Rainier University for any problems this has caused. Thank you."_

_ Before the reporters could start in with questions, Police Chief Warren stepped up and made a brief speech about Blair's value to the Cascade PD, citing his long record of case closures while an observer. Jim was filled with pride, especially when the Chief announced that they were offering him an official, paid position as Police Consultant. Blair had been surprised and clearly touched, if the brightness in his eyes was any indication._

_ Chancellor Edwards spoke last and though she said all the right words, Jim wanted to strangle her for her unpleasant tone. The University was of course very supportive of Mr. Sandburg, and the doctorate committee was looking forward to the upcoming presentation of his thesis on closed societies in law enforcement._

_ Blair hadn't planned on answering any questions, but as Jim started to hustle him out, one of the reporters called out loudly, asking if Sentinels did in fact exist._

_ "Do Sentinels exist?" Blair grinned. "Richard Burton thought so. He wrote a book called The Sentinels of Paraguay, which was the basis of my own work. If you can find a copy, it's an interesting read."_

*o*o*o*

The press bought that story, and Blair sued the publisher and won. Their friends in Major Crimes knew that the whole novel thing was a lie, and went out of their way to make Blair feel welcome in his new role as official consultant. Still, there were questions and suspicions elsewhere in the department.

Blair eventually brought up the subject of starting their own investigation firm, pointing out that Jim would still be helping the tribe but in a different way. They'd both done a lot of thinking about that, and eventually Jim had agreed. He was tired of his friend constantly being in the line of fire, both criminal and friendly, and figured that if they opened their own firm they could leave the heavy lifting to the cops.

Though he'd been a little uncertain at first, Jim had to admit how excited he'd been when their office opened up; just seeing their name on the glass door gave him a little thrill. Plus, there was something to be said for being your own boss. They could set their own hours, pick and choose their cases, and take long fishing weekends.

*o*o*o*

_"Check it out, Chief." Jim waved a piece of paper at him. "The first payment for our first case."_

_ "We should frame that," Blair said._

_ "I think you're forgetting a little something called rent."_

_ Even with the large settlement from the lawsuit, they'd decided to rent offices for the time being. Blair was pretty confident that there would be expansion in their future, and so they were keeping their options open._

_ "You're right. Hey! I'll take a picture of you with it." Blair pulled out his little point and shoot, and Jim posed with the check._

_ "Now we can say we have a solve rate of one hundred percent," he added, setting the camera on the desk._

_ Jim just shook his head. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Chief. It's only one case."_

_ "I've already got a line on a couple more. In fact…"_

_ Blair was interrupted by a knock on the door, which opened a moment later. A young man, no more than twenty, was standing there looking incredibly nervous._

_ "Can we help you?" Jim asked._

_ "Oh, uh, yeah. Um, I'm looking for Dr. Sandburg?"_

_ "It's just Blair." He went over and shook the man's hand. "This is my partner, Jim Ellison. Why don't you sit down?"_

_ "Oh, no, that's okay. Um, I was just…um…"_

_ Jim and Blair exchanged a bemused grin. Blair put a hand on the kid's shoulder and steered him into a chair._

_ "Whatever's going on, I'm sure we can help you. Just take a nice, deep breath and talk to us."_

_ The kid did as instructed and visibly relaxed. "Okay. Um, I saw your press conference on YouTube. You know, about the Sentinel thing."_

_ Another look passed between them, though this time it was one of wariness instead of amusement._

_ "Did you have a question about that?" Blair asked cautiously._

_ "Yes. I mean, no. I mean…well, thing is, I think I might be one of those. A Sentinel. I can see really far, and I can hear people talking all the way down the street. It's kind of cool, but I get lots of headaches. I just thought…well, you seemed to know…I mean…"_

_ "You want help controlling your senses?" Blair asked._

_ "Well, I was hoping. I mean, I took a bus here all the way from Idaho, you know? And you never said that Sentinels weren't real. I watched your speech like ten times and you never said it was a lie."_

_ Jim gave the kid points for being perceptive. "What's your name?" _

_ "Danny. Danny Williams."_

_ "Well, Danny Williams," Jim said with a grin. "I think we can help you."_

*o*o*o*

It hadn't taken long for J&B Investigations to set up an off-shoot called Watchman Enterprises. Danny Williams wasn't the only one who had seen Blair's press conference and the media firestorm that surrounded it, and found the Sentinel information all too familiar. Suddenly there were almost-Sentinels coming to Cascade from all over the country, seeking help from Blair and Jim. And with all the people they'd met, not one of them had been a full Sentinel the way Jim was.

"There can be only one," he laughed to himself. Blair was compiling ridiculous amounts of research, and had been able to help most of the almost-Sentinels that came to them; not all of them were willing to listen. None of them had set Jim's senses off the way Alex had, though, so he was more than happy to lend out his Guide.

The truck left the city limits, driving through the suburbs in the pre-dawn hours. Most of the houses out this way were dark, everyone still sleeping. Jim couldn't wait to be one of them. Two years ago they'd moved out of the loft and into a nice place just outside town, a little farmhouse that had a small, stand-alone barn that had been remade into Jim's living space. And since he already owned the loft, they'd moved their offices there.

He loved the barn. They'd had it renovated and turned into a nice bi-level apartment, with skylights and big, southern-exposure windows. When he wanted to be alone, he had his own place – fully Sentinel-ized thanks to his Guide. But he spent just as much time in the house with Blair and Jenny.

Jenny Miles had been a find. There had been the usual parade of women through Blair's life, which Jim had gotten kind of used to. But he'd been surprised when his partner had admitted that he was looking for a woman he could spend his life with, one that would also be accepting of the Sentinel-Guide relationship, and he would accept no substitutes.

Jim always felt a warm glow when he thought of Jenny. She was perfect in all the ways that counted. She was a school teacher – high school English – and she could hold her own in a debate with Blair. She'd also been incredibly accepting of Jim, taking the Sentinel thing right in stride. It hadn't taken long for her to become part of Jim's little family. Jenny really loved Blair, and he loved her back just as strongly; anything less would have been unacceptable. They quickly became a very tight knit threesome, and if Jim loved Blair like a brother than Jenny became the sister he'd never had.

*o*o*o*

_Jenny, Jim and Blair moved around the spacious kitchen in their own version of ballet. It wasn't often that the three of them cooked together, but when they did they moved seamlessly, each doing their own part of the meal. When it was finished they ate at the little round table, chatting easily about their day._

_ After they cleaned up the dinner dishes and wiped down the counters – Jenny adhered to a level of tidiness that Jim approved of – the three of them retired to the living room to watch a little television. As usual, they wound up in what Blair laughingly called a puppy pile; Jim sat on one side of his partner, an arm casually thrown over his shoulder, and Jenny was curled up on the other side with her arm around Blair's waist._

_ Jim never failed to marvel at how things had a way of working out. He and Blair had discovered that the Sentinel's powers were a little like a battery; when he used them a lot, he needed a recharge. This recharge came from physical contact with his Guide, often just sitting closely together like they were now. What had surprised both of them was the way Jenny seemed to be able to fill some of that need; on a few occasions when Blair had been unavailable, Jenny had filled in as Guide. She wasn't at the same level as her husband, but in a pinch she got the job done._

_ While they relaxed together, Jim did a casual Sentinel scan of his companions. Jenny jokingly referred to him as her primary physician, because he always knew when something was up before she did. Which certainly seemed to be the case today._

_ "Jenny?" he asked, sitting up._

_ "What's up, big guy?" Blair looked at him searchingly._

_ "There's something…oh my God."_

_ "What? What's wrong?" Jenny looked between the two of them, panic in her eyes. "What is it?"_

_ Jim leaned across Blair, and put his head on Jenny's stomach. His Guide immediately started to rub his back, helping him to focus on whatever it was he'd detected._

_ "Jimmy, you're scaring me."_

_ Jim looked up at Jenny, and couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face. "Wow."_

_ "Wow? What the hell does that mean?" Blair pushed him up. "What's going on, man?"_

_ "I heard a heartbeat."_

_ "Okay." Blair looked at Jenny and shrugged. "You always hear our heartbeats."_

_ "Not yours." Jim got up and moved around to sit next to Jenny. He took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "You're pregnant, little sister."_

_ Jenny looked back at him with wide eyes, then turned to share a shell-shocked look with her husband. "You're sure?"_

_ "Never doubt your Sentinel."_

_ There was a lot of hooting and hollering and crying after that announcement. Jim shared an apple cider toast with the happy couple before retiring to his apartment. The warm glow stayed with him all night. Blair was going to be a father, and he'd never been happier for his friend. For both of his friends._

*o*o*o*

Jim pulled into the driveway, immediately assessing his home territory. The front light of the house was on, as it always was. The kitchen light was on, too, and at this hour of the day it was unusual. But it was seeing the dog out in the fenced yard that put the Sentinel on alert. He quickly parked the truck and got out, closing the door as quietly as possible. He opened the side gate, moving into the yard; he had his gun in his hand before he'd even thought to draw it. The dog, a large shepherd mix, immediately came trotting over to lick his hand.

"Hey, Rinny," he whispered. Blair had insisted on naming the dog Rin Tin Tin. "What're you doing out here?"

Blair and Jenny never left the dog out at night, and Rinny was old enough now to make it through without needing a bathroom break.

Jim extended his hearing, and his stomach twisted when he couldn't detect any signs of life in the house. He reached for his cell phone, frowning when it wouldn't turn on. Damn it! The battery had died again. He needed to get in the house, but he was afraid of what he'd find once he got there. Tentatively he opened up smell, shaking in relief when he didn't smell any blood.

Using his key, he went through the kitchen door and did a room by room search of the house. No signs of forced entry, no signs of violence. And then his higher brain function finally kicked in and he checked the front entry hall. Jenny's suitcase, the one she had packed for the hospital, was gone. He ran to the living room, snatching the phone up out of the base, and punched in Blair's number.

"Jesus, man, where have you been? I've been leaving you messages!" His Guide sounded anxious, tense, and on edge. In short, like a man whose wife had gone into labor.

"Battery's dead. You at Cascade General?"

"Yeah. You gotta get down here, I can't…I'm freaking out."

"Is Jenny okay?"

"Jenny? She's great. I've never seen her this calm. Why is she so calm?"

"Hang tight, Chief. I'm on my way."

Jim locked up after making sure Rinny had food and water, and got back in his truck. So much for bed. Not that he could sleep now, anyway. The baby was coming!

*o*o*o*

_Whatever protective instincts that Jim possessed for his tribe was nothing when it came to the life Jenny was carrying inside her. He was constantly listening in, assessing the well-being of the unborn baby, making sure that Jenny ate all the right foods and got just the right amount of exercise. Anyone who was unfortunate enough to jostle her in public got a face full of angry Sentinel._

_ When Jenny had her first ultrasound, she and Blair had to bully Jim into coming; he hadn't wanted to intrude on their special moment. And there they had been in that little room, Jenny laying on the bed with Blair's hand clasped tightly in hers and Jim's hands gripping Blair's shoulders. The husband and wife had cried, but he'd just looked on in wonder at the tiny hands that waved around on the monitor._

_ Naomi had come to visit shortly after that, and expressed concern that Jim was acting too much like an expectant father. Jenny had just laughed._

_ "He's never had this, Naomi. Such a close family. Let him enjoy it."_

_ "Why doesn't he get married and have his own family, then?"_

_ Blair had changed the subject, showing his mother the newest baby things they had gotten and how the nursery was coming along. He and Jenny knew that while Jim still dated occasionally, he'd come to a decision long ago that he didn't want to get married. Some hurts you never got over, and he was still afraid of being rejected. Jenny and Blair, Steven and his father were the only family he needed. Which didn't stop Jenny from keeping on the lookout for a woman for Jim, someone like her that would understand and accept him for who he was._

*o*o*o*

While Jim drove to the hospital, he sent up silent prayers to whoever might be listening that Jenny and the baby made it through okay. They were both healthy, and almost a week past the due date, so there was no real reason to worry. He thought instead about whether the baby would be a boy or a girl. Blair had tried to see if his Sentinel abilities could detect that, but so far they'd come up empty. Jenny had been glad of that; she wanted to be surprised.

He wished he still had a siren in the truck. He tried not to exceed the speed limit but he needed to get there. Blair was having a freak-out, the culmination of nine months of wondering if he'd be a good dad when he'd had no good role model himself growing up. They'd had several conversations about that, during which Jim tried to convince him that he'd be an amazing father. Hadn't he taken Jim in hand all those years ago?

Finally – _finally!_ – he reached Cascade General and swung into the visitor parking lot. He'd drawn the line at accompanying Jenny and Blair to childbirth classes, but he knew where the maternity ward was; just follow the sound of the crying babies. He took the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator, trying to tune in to that fast, fluttery heartbeat he'd come to know so well over the last nine months.

When he burst onto the maternity ward, he scared a nurse who dropped an armload of files all over the floor.

"Sorry. I'm sorry." Jim knelt down and helped her collect all her paperwork. "I'm Jim Ellison, I'm looking for the Sandburgs."

"Are you a family member?"

"Jim!" Blair called from down the hall.

He was on his feet, ignoring whatever else the nurse had to say. His eyes were on his Guide, noting the calm, relaxed face that smiled back at him. Everything had gone fine, and he could finally let out his own nervous breath.

Blair clapped him on the arm. "Come on in, and meet my son."

A boy! Jim entered the room, feeling suddenly shy, pleased to see that Jenny looked well, if not more than a little tired.

"Jimmy," she said with a smile. "You made it!"

"I'm getting a new phone tomorrow," he promised. His eyes were drawn to the tightly swaddled form that Jenny held against her side. Blair took the baby and carefully handed him to Jim.

"I'd like to introduce you to Jamie Miles Sandburg," he said softly.

Jim looked down at his namesake, his senses opening of their own accord to drink in every bit of this new little life. He had a lot of hair, reddish brown and already curly. Deep blue eyes, like his father. A little bow mouth like his mother. Jim bent his head, breathing in that sweet smell that only babies had. He kissed his little forehead, which tasted faintly of powder. A little piece of Blair and a little piece of Jenny, brought together to form a unique human being. His little fingers wrapped around Jim's thumb and he was lost.

"…on back, Jim. It's okay, just follow the sound of my voice."

Jim shook his head. Oh no! He'd zoned! While holding the baby. He shot a look of distress at Blair, who kept on rubbing his back.

"It's okay, big guy. You didn't hurt him. You held him nice and close. It's okay."

Nonetheless, he handed Jamie back to Jenny with a mumbled apology. Jenny caught his hand in hers and squeezed.

"It's alright, Jimmy. You didn't hurt him. You could never hurt him."

"He's so perfect," Jim whispered.

"You won't think so the first time you have to change a diaper," Jenny said with a grin.

Blair guided Jim to a chair and helped him sit down. "You gonna be okay, Jim? Can I get you some water or something?"

Jim shook his head, his eyes still on the baby. He'd never experienced anything like this, and it left him shaken. That little baby had just bumped everyone else down on the list, becoming his top priority. His safety, his happiness…Jim accepted the responsibility for both.

"Everything's going to change again," he said softly.

"Yeah, it is. You okay with that?"

"Oh, yeah. Do you think…will he be like you? A Guide?"

"He could be anything," Blair replied, keeping a hand on Jim's back. "He could be a Guide, a doctor, a tuna fisherman…even a Sentinel."

Jenny grinned at them from the bed. "Whatever he decides he wants to be, I hope he has a friendship as beautiful as the two of you have."

Blair and Jim shared a goofy grin.

*o*o*o*

_Jim flipped through the baby name book, chuckling at all the notes in the margins and names that had been underlined, circled, or crossed out. He'd had no idea that so much was involved in choosing a name for a baby. Wouldn't it be easier just to find something you like and go with that? But clearly Blair and Jenny, though probably mostly Blair, were putting way too much thought into meanings, origins and spelling variations._

_ "Hey, man." Blair came in and flopped down in the easy chair. He'd been wrestling with the crib, insisting that he could put it together himself. Jim had a feeling he was ready finally to ask for help._

_ "Still looking for the perfect name? I'm surprised you're not looking at other languages."_

_ "Oh, believe me. I did. But Jenny drew the line when I started checking out ancient Tibetan names."_

_ Jim shook his head and tossed the book back on the coffee table. "Have you at least narrowed it down? The last list you guys had was a mile long."_

_ "Oh, yeah, well, we've been talking…" Blair broke off, looking down at his hands._

_ "You can tell him." Jenny's voice floated down the stairs from the nursery, where she was putting clothes in the dresser._

_ "Jim, man, I think she's been absorbing some of your Sentinel senses."_

_ With a laugh, Jim grabbed the baby monitor off the end table and shook it. "Nothing quite so mystical, Chief."_

_ Blair blushed as Jenny's laugh echoed from upstairs. "Okay, so my higher brain function isn't where it should be right now. That's common when a household undergoes preparations for a new family member. In Outer Mongolia…"_

_ "Blair, sweetie, I love you. Stop stalling."_

_ He scowled at the ceiling. _

_ "So what's the big secret?" Jim leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "You're not naming the baby Rainbow or something, are you?"_

_ Blair made a face at him. "No. If it's a girl, we decided on Anna."_

_ Jim turned that over in his head. Anna Sandburg. Annie Sandburg. He nodded. "That's pretty."_

_ "It means gracious and merciful in Hebrew. I think those are two pretty good virtues to imbue on a new life."_

_ "Just tell me her middle name won't start with S. Bad initials."_

_ Blair laughed. "No, we're still working on a middle name. I like Rose, after Jenny's grandmother, but she's still undecided."_

_ "And if it's a boy?" Jim asked, wondering why the question made Blair so fidgety._

_ "Well, you know, we had a lot of choices there. I mean, we wanted a name that was strong, but nothing in-your-face like Clint or Rocko or something."_

_ "Rocko?" Jim shook his head._

_ "That was never on the table." Jenny came down the stairs and perched on Blair's knee. "Really, there was only ever one choice, but Blair wasn't sure you'd like it."_

_ "Hey, it's not up to me what you name your baby," Jim said, holding up his hands. And hoping it wasn't an overly feminine name. He knew the kind of comments Blair had been exposed to, growing up with the name he had._

_ "We want to name him Jamie," Blair said softly. "After you."_

_ "What?" Jim sat back. He hadn't expected that, and it made him feel a little funny. "Why?"_

_ "You're one of the best men I know," Jenny said. "And even though he wouldn't admit it, Blair really wanted to do this. Because he thinks so much of you."_

_ "If we have a son, I'd want him to be just like you," Blair said, his voice for Sentinel ears only._

_ Jim blinked back the sudden sting of tears. He opened his arms. "Puppy pile?"_

_ Jenny and Blair both jumped on him, laughing, and he wrapped his arms around them. "I love this family!"_

*o*o*o*

Jamie made his big entrance to much applause; the yard was full of people who had come to help him celebrate his first birthday. He grinned and pulled his hand out of Jenny's so he could walk by himself, happy to show off his newly acquired skill.

"Lord help us, he looks just like his father," Simon said in mock distress.

"Talk to Jim," Blair called from the barbeque. "He's the one who insists on buying Jamie flannel shirts."

Jim shrugged and grinned, but never took his eyes off the little boy that toddled around the yard doing his own version of a meet and greet. With a head full of auburn curls and those big blue eyes in a pudgy little face, he looked like a cherub, minus the wings. Rinny stayed close to his side, on the alert for any trouble; the dog had become a watchman in his own right.

Jamie made his wobbly way over to Jim, and put his arms up, hands opening and closing. "Uh…uh."

Jim swooped the little boy up in his arms, swinging him the way that always made him squeal in delight. Jamie was soon happily tucked against his side, patting his face and laughing.

"Hey, little man," Jim said with a smile. "How's my favorite boy?"

Jamie leaned forward and plastered a wet kiss on Jim's cheek. Blair watched from across the yard, a proud grin on his face. He'd never seen his Sentinel so happy, so settled. He and Jamie had a special relationship, seemingly right from the very first day, and Blair couldn't help thinking how blessed he was. He'd never have imagined that this would be his life when he met Jim all those years ago.

He looked over at Jenny, who was surrounded by her sisters near a table loaded down with food. As if she could feel his gaze on her, she turned and blew him a quick kiss. He tilted his head and she excused herself, coming over to see what he wanted.

"Hey, beautiful." Blair pulled her close and gave her a kiss.

"Hey yourself. You need some help with the burgers?"

"Nope. Just wanted to kiss my pretty wife." And he did it again, just because he could.

"Oh, good news!" Jenny pressed her hands on his chest, her eyes alight with excitement. "I think I found the perfect girl for Jimmy."

"You never give up, do you?"

"Of course not. But listen, my sister Julie finally dumped that jerk she was with and I think she's ready for a real relationship."

"Julie, huh?" Blair looked over at the sisters, and saw that Julie was in fact checking out Jim with interest clearly written on her face. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Julie's the serious one, and I think she'd be a good match for Jim. She loves how good he is with Jamie. I'll feel her out some more, but I think it could work."

"If you're sure, go for it." Blair flipped the burgers. "Although, Jessica _is_ the hot one."

Jenny smacked him in the arm, laughing. "You better amend that statement, buster."

"I meant, after _you_ she's the hot one."

"Am I going to have to disrupt a domestic dispute?" Jim asked, seemingly materializing at Blair's back.

"Tell him, Jim," Jenny said, arms crossed over her chest and smirk on her face.

"Jenny is the hot one, Chief. Might be time to get your prescription checked if you can't tell. Jessica is the bouncy one, Janice is the mean one, and apparently Julie is the perfect-for-Jim one."

Jenny flushed. "What did you do with my son?"

"He's with Hippy Grandma, and don't change the subject."

Blair snorted and put all his attention on the burgers.

"Just talk to her, Jimmy. That's all I'm asking. If you aren't interested, I'll let it go. Honest."

Jim gave her a hard look for a minute before throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Okay, little sister. I'll talk to her. Wasn't she the one hitting on me at the wedding?"

"That's right! I forgot. See? It's a sign."

"It's a sign that you're a meddler." Jim sighed. "Well, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

He walked off to where the sisters were gathered, clearly steeling himself. Blair slipped an arm around Jenny's waist and propped his chin on her shoulder.

"That was too easy. I think he already had an eye on her."

They watched as Jim pulled Julie from the group, and walked with her under one of the oak trees. Blair cocked his head, considering, and grinned at the feeling he got from watching the two of them.

"Jenny, you just might be a genius."

"That's why you married me," she replied confidently.

*o*o*o*

_"So, you're a Sentinel. Five super senses, right?" Julie studied Jim carefully. They were sitting on Jim's couch, and she had her feet in his lap so he could rub them._

_ "Yeah. Now you know the big family secret."_

_ "Right." Julie took a sip from the glass of wine in her hand. "You know, I'm not just a pretty face. When Jenny and Blair hooked up, I did my research."_

_ Jim looked at her, eyebrow raised._

_ "I know all about the so-called novel and the big press conference. Tracked down that Burton book, even."_

_ Now Jim really was surprised. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"_

_ Julie shrugged. "It wasn't my place. Jenny was happy and Blair clearly wasn't a lunatic. It was a compelling story, though. You know, there's an online support group for Sentinels."_

_ "You can only access it with a special invitation." Jim made a mental note to have Blair check on that. They'd tried to impress on all the Sentinelites, as his friend called them, that secrecy was important in order to protect themselves from people who would use their gifts for less than charitable reasons._

_ "Relax, Jim. The site is still protected. I just know a guy who knows a guy who got some help from you a few years back. What you and Blair do, it's good work. All of it."_

_ Jim felt a weight lift from his chest. He and Julie had been seeing each other for about a month and he'd really fallen for her. Letting her in on the Sentinel thing was the litmus test, and not only had she passed it, she'd completely blown it out of the water._

_ "So you're okay with it?"_

_ "No. I'm okay with _you_, Jim. This Sentinel thing, it's not something you can separate from yourself. It's amazing, and the way you've used it is amazing. Thank you for telling me."_

_ He pulled her close, kissing her deeply; she tasted of red wine, strawberries, and mint. He'd already mapped her with his senses, catalogued every scent and taste and touch, and he wanted more. He couldn't believe she'd been right under his nose all this time. Still, he couldn't help but push things. It was a hard habit to break._

_ "It's not just the Sentinel thing, you know."_

_ "Yeah. I do. Doesn't seem to have hurt Jenny's relationship with Blair any." Julie wiggled her toes and Jim got back to rubbing her feet. "If anything, I'd have to say I've always been a little jealous of how close the three of you are."_

_ "Your sister is pretty amazing in her own right."_

_ "She's got her good points," Julie conceded with a grin. "I know what Blair means to you, how he helps you. I'd never want to get between the two of you. I'm a big girl. I can share."_

_ "Well, in the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you I have a few other quirks."_

_ "Jim, we've been dating for a month. I know all about the color-coded Tupperware and the pathological cleanliness." Julie finished her wine and set the class on the coffee table. "Just like you know I need at least one junk drawer in each room, and I take pictures – lots and lots of pictures."_

_ Jim pretended to think that over. "I can get behind the pictures. The junk drawer, though. I don't know. That might be a deal breaker."_

_ Julie aimed a kick at his stomach but he grabbed her ankle and kissed the top of her foot. She moved around until she was sitting in his lap, arms around his neck._

_ "One other thing you should know. I'm a forever kind of girl, so if you're not looking long-term you better tell me now."_

_ Jim ran his hands through her hair, feathering out her auburn bob. "I can definitely do long-term. I mean, if you're sure…maybe you should take some time to really think about…"_

_ "I love you, Jim." Julie leaned in and kissed him. It was the first time she'd said the words and he found himself blinking back tears to hear them. He made a vow to himself that he wasn't going to make the same mistakes that he'd made with Carolyn. He wanted this to last, and he wanted it to be like what Jenny and Blair had; strong and loving, a true partnership._

_ "No secrets. That's all I ask," he whispered. "If something is wrong, if I do or say anything that hurts you, you tell me."_

_ "Only if you do, too," Julie replied. _

_ Jim cupped her face in his hands, unable to stop the smile that spread across his face. "I love you, Julie Miles."_

_ "That's good news," she quipped, though her eyes had gone soft and dewy. "Cause I'm pretty sure you're stuck with me, Mr. Ellison."_

_ "Yeah. I can live with that."_

*o*o*o*

Jim sat on the porch swing, listening to Jenny inside the house, trying to coax Jacob to eat his mashed peas. He could sympathize with the kid on that one. Over in the converted barn, Blair was helping Julie put together one of those exersaucer things. He himself swung lazily back and forth, Jamie snuggled up on one side of him and his own baby daughter curled up in the crook of his arm, asleep.

"Uncle Jimmy?" Jamie asked, tucking his curly hair behind his ear in a move so reminiscent of his father that Jim couldn't help but smile.

"What's up, partner?"

"Is Maggie special?"

Jim looked down at his little girl, pink lips puckered in sleep. He wasn't sure exactly what his nephew was getting at. Was he worried that his uncle wouldn't love him the same? Or had he seen what Jim and Blair had already started to notice?

"You're all special," he said finally. "Just in different ways."

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Jacob's just normal," he said dismissively. Jim bit back a laugh. "I think Maggie is the same kind of special you are."

That gave him pause. He looked down into those guileless blue eyes and knew there was more than just a surface resemblance between this five year old boy and his father. Once it would have been automatic for him to deny, to redirect, but things had changed.

"Your dad and I think she is, too."

Jamie nodded solemnly. "She'll probably need help, right? Like Dad helps you?"

Jim nodded. It had been his secret fear, whenever he'd imagined a future with children, that he'd pass his Sentinel abilities on to his offspring. It had been a big stumbling block in his relationship with Julie, and Blair had been the one to help him through that. He reminded Jim that what he had was a gift, and that if his children had it too it would be easier for them because the circumstances would be so different. And he could see now how right his Guide was. If Maggie truly was a Sentinel, she'd be able to develop her senses and learn to use them in a loving, accepting environment. Blair was already prepping a new journal just for her, and devising some infant-friendly testing so they could determine if she was a true Sentinel, or only had some of the heightened senses.

A passing car backfired, and Jim instantly had an arm full of red-faced, screaming baby. He propped her on his shoulder and rubbed her back, murmuring soothing words, but Maggie just kept crying. The problem with babies, Jim thought with a sigh, was that they didn't have any dials.

"Can I hold her?" Jamie asked.

Jim almost said no. He didn't mind the younger boy holding the baby; he was always very careful with both Maggie and Jacob. But a calm and happy baby was different than a crying, thrashing baby. Still, there was something in his face that made him reconsider.

"Okay. Real careful, remember?"

"I know, Uncle Jimmy."

He transferred the baby to Jamie's lap, making sure her head was securely propped on the boy's arm. The result was almost instantaneous. Maggie stopped crying, reduced to just little chuffs of breath, and she seemed to be trying to focus on her cousin's face.

"It's okay, Maggie. You don't have to cry. It was just a car." Jamie rubbed his hand on the baby's stomach. "I bet you don't like loud noises. You just listen to me, okay? I'll talk nice and quiet."

Jim's breath caught when he saw the serene, toothless smile that Maggie favored Jamie with. What he was witnessing seemed so monumental, so important, that the setting seemed completely wrong somehow. And for just the briefest moment, he swore he could smell the jungle.

"Jim?" Blair was on his way across the yard, a puzzled expression on his face. Jim carefully got up off the swing and met him halfway.

"What's going on? I had the weirdest flash. I think I saw my spirit guide."

"Your son," Jim said, turning Blair so he could see their children on the porch swing. "He got Maggie to stop crying when a loud noise scared her."

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm glad he's helping out. He barely gives Jacob the time of day. I keep telling Jenny…"

"He knows, Chief. He knows about Maggie." Jim could see his friend processing that, then his eyes widened.

"How?"

"Because I think…I think he's just like you."

"Whoa," Blair whispered.

Jim watched as Jamie pressed a kiss to the baby's head. Maggie reached up and grabbed a handful of curls with one chubby little hand. The older boy just smiled and kept talking to her.

Blair leaned back against Jim, who kept his hands on his friend's shoulders. "'And together we will float into the mystic.'"

"You start singing and I'm going to hurt you," Jim said with a grin.

"Are you okay with this, big guy? It's…wow, it's just amazing."

"I don't know if okay is the right word, Chief. But I'll manage. I want more for Maggie, you know? Better than I had. And if Jamie can do for her what you do for me…well, then she's already way ahead of the game."

Blair surprised him by turning around and capturing him in a bear hug. He smelled salty tears and looked down to see that his Guide was crying. Jim hugged him back.

"Getting sentimental on me, Blair?"

"I guess so," he sniffed in reply. "It's just…this is everything I ever wanted. And I don't know what I did to deserve it all."

"Good karma," Jim murmured.

That got them both laughing, and Blair took a step back, swiping at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. "Think we're ready for what's coming next?"

"Arms wide open, Chief."

* * *

_**AN:** Blair's quote at the end is from the song Into the Mystic, by Van Morrison._

_This is where it all started. I had a couple random ideas here and there, then I woke up one morning with three chapters worth of inspiration percolating in my brain. LOL! So let's see what else is in store for Jim and Blair and their families!_


	2. Old Friends, New Friends

**Old Friends, New Friends**

Jim kept a firm grasp on his daughter's hand as he took her upstairs to her room, despite her squirming. He'd had no idea a four-year-old could be so petulant, though as he'd realized from the day her cousin Jamie was born there was a whole lot he didn't know about raising a child.

"I just painted," Maggie protested.

"With Mommy's nail polish," he reminded her. "All over the couch."

She pouted. "Looks pretty."

They reached her room and Jim motioned her inside. He reached up to one of the high shelves for the remote to the white noise generators, turning all three of them on.

"I want you to stay in here, young lady, until we decide your punishment."

Maggie threw herself on the bed with a put-upon sigh. The bedding was Sentinel soft, though she didn't need it; the only heightened senses she had were sight and hearing. The whole room was designed with all five in mind, though, just in case. The colors were calming, the walls mostly bare save for some sound absorbing tiles painted pastel colors. All of her toys were kept in either plastic bins or the pink princess toybox, to minimize visual overstimulation. An air purifier hummed in one corner.

Jim closed the door and sighed himself. If raising a little girl wasn't hard enough, there were also the Sentinel abilities to be dealt with. Blair was pretty sure the other three would come online at some point, probably when Maggie hit puberty; after all, if she wasn't going to be a full Sentinel someday why did she already have a Guide? He'd helped Jim install the white noise generators so they had a place to send Maggie when they didn't want her listening in to adult conversations. Two weeks later they'd moved them to shelves near the ceiling because she kept turning them off.

Julie was downstairs, standing in front of their microfiber couch, the tan now streaked with red nail polish in random swirls, circles and flowers.

"I guess I need to lock my polish up with the paints," she said. Jim could hear the amusement underlying the exasperation in her voice, and grinned in response.

"She needs a different outlet for her artistic expression," Blair said, coming through the side door.

"What did you have in mind, Chief?"

"I was thinking we remodel the inside of Maggie's playhouse. We can put an oversized white board on one wall, and use chalkboard paint on another." Blair stood beside Jim, clearly amused at the sorry state of his furniture.

"Hmmm," Julie hummed. "That's a good idea. As long as we can impress on her that she can only be artistic in there."

"You better tell her. She'll listen to you," Jim replied. "I think she takes everything I say as a challenge."

"Maggie's a girl, man. You can't fight genetics." Blair patted him on the shoulder.

"Watch it!" Julie warned. "I won't have you maligning my gender, mister."

Blair held up his hands. "Whoa, no need to get all Xena on me!"

Jim just rolled his eyes. "So who's coming couch shopping with me?"

*o*o*o*

Like most children, Jamie loved the weekends. Not that he didn't also enjoy fourth grade, because he did, but on the weekends he could spend all day playing with Maggie. Despite their five year age difference she was his best friend, and he knew what was probably because she was so special.

He knew Maggie liked the weekends best, too, because when they were together she could really let loose with her senses, instead of being so careful. She'd never had a zone, like Uncle Jimmy sometimes did, but he was always on the lookout.

"What do you see, Magpie?" Jamie asked. They lay side by side on the lawn, looking up at the sky.

"Clouds. Not the rain kind."

"What else?"

"Some birds. Big ones."

"Yeah? Cool." Jamie squinted, but all he could see were the white clouds scudding by. Sometimes he was jealous that she could see so much.

"Uncle Chief says I see more than Daddy," Maggie said proudly. She pulled one of her brown pigtails around so she could suck on the end of it.

"He'd know," Jamie replied, no small amount of pride in his own voice. He knew his dad was a powerful man. He had a way of knowing things, like when someone was feeling guilty or afraid. Jamie hoped he'd be like his dad someday.

"Car," Maggie said, as she always did when one went by the house.

Jamie went up on his elbows and saw a black car pull up in front of the house. He waited, but no-one came out.

"Can you tell who's inside?" he whispered. Maggie scrunched up her eyes and listened.

"No."

Before Jamie could comment on that, one of the windows rolled down and the next thing he knew Maggie had her hands over her ears and was screaming. In the next second, a man dressed in a fancy black suit was picking Maggie up and carrying her to the car.

"Maggie!" Jamie launched himself at the man, only to be caught up in a strong set of arms himself. "Mom! Aunt Julie!"

He could hear the moms coming, but they weren't fast enough. He was shoved into the car with Maggie and they were gone in a loud squealing of tires.

*o*o*o*

Jim slammed the phone down, his lips so tightly compressed they were bloodless. Blair was at his side in an instant, rubbing his back.

"Jim? What's wrong?"

But he was too full of rage to do anything for a minute but sit there, quivering.

"Jesus, Jim! What is it?"

"Black sedan," Jim finally managed to spit out. "Two men, maybe more."

Blair went absolutely still. "Where? At our house? They were at our house?"

Jim nodded, then he was on his feet and headed for the door. "They took…" He rubbed a hand over his face. "They took Jamie and Maggie."

He didn't need to turn around to know the expression that would be on his partner's face; he imagined it was the same one he wore himself.

"Julie's already called Simon. We need to go, see if there's some kind of trail I can pick up."

Blair didn't say anything, just took hold of Jim's arm in a death grip and followed him out to the truck.

Fifteen minutes and several red lights later they were home and Jim was prowling the street looking for signs of the men who took his daughter. Jenny stood nearby, watching to see if he needed her help. She'd volunteered to act in Blair's stead so he could help Julie remember everything she'd seen; she'd gotten the clearest view of the men and the car.

"Damn it!" Jim snapped. "I can't…all I smell is coffee!"

Jenny moved closer and took hold of Jim's hand. He immediately stilled, a little of the edge taken off. He could smell the kids, just a faint scent echo tinged with fear; it made his chest tight.

"Can you isolate where the coffee smell is coming from?" Jenny asked softly. Jim could smell her fear, too, and marveled at how well she was keeping it together. He tried harder.

"I…it's not coming from anywhere. It's centered right here."

"Could they have used it?" Jenny asked, a slight quaver in her voice. "To cover their scent?"

Jim focused harder, nostrils flaring. "Underneath the coffee…soap. They washed the car before they came here. Washed the evidence off of it."

Jenny met his gaze and he was surprised to see the steely edge of danger in her eyes. "They know about you."

The tightness in his chest worsened. Once again, someone had used knowledge of his senses to hurt people close to him. He thought they'd been careful enough. They hadn't.

"Little sister, I'm so sorry…"

She slapped him on the chest, hard. "Don't you dare apologize to me, Jimmy! This isn't your fault. And you need to focus so we can find these bastards and get our kids back."

He pulled in a deep, shuddering breath and rested his forehead against hers. Her take-no-prisoners tone was just what he needed to get his own emotions under control.

"Okay," he said.

"Now, filter out the coffee and the soap. If there's anything else underneath you'll find it."

*o*o*o*

Jamie had never been so scared, not even of the bullies at school. The men had used a dog whistle to hurt Maggie while she was listening and it took him almost the whole ride in the car to get her to dial down. The men had brought him and Maggie to some kind of empty building but he didn't know where. They were supposed to keep their eyes closed the whole time.

"Is Daddy coming?" Maggie asked plaintively.

They were huddled together in a small room, and one of the bad guys stood in front of the door. Jamie could see a bulge under his jacket that he knew was a gun; he must have a shoulder holster like Uncle Jimmy.

The floor was black and rubbery, and there were lots of squares on the walls like the ones in Maggie's room, the kind that were supposed to help keep things quiet. There were some hanging from the ceiling too.

"He'll come," Jamie said confidently. "My dad, too. You know what a good team they are."

"Like superheroes?"

"That's right. They'll find us." He kept his arm around her shoulders. It was chilly, wherever they were. He thought he'd heard water when they first came in, but now he couldn't hear anything outside of the room they were in. And he couldn't ask Maggie because the man would hear and her special senses were a secret.

There was a knock on the door and the man in the suit moved aside. Someone new came in, a smiling man with long brown hair hanging over his forehead. He wore jeans and a dark green shirt. Jamie took careful note of his clothes and his face, so he could tell his dad. The man squatted down in front of them.

"Hi, there. My name is John."

Maggie pulled Jamie's head down and whispered in his ear. "He told a lie."

Jamie stared back at the man calling himself John, biting his lip to keep from saying anything. That just made the other man smile bigger.

"I'm a friend of your dad," John said pleasantly. "Yours too, little princess. We go way back."

"My daddy's gonna beat your backside!" Maggie said, glowering.

"Oh, I don't think so. He won't find me. I'm good at hide and seek." John grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. Jamie scrambled after them.

"Let her go!" He reached for Maggie's other arm, only to be shoved backwards. His feet tangled up and he sat down hard, his tailbone aching and tears springing up in his eyes.

"Don't touch him!" Maggie went into a rage like Jamie had never seen, kicking and hitting at John, who looked just as surprised.

"Stop that!" He let go, but Maggie kept at him, screaming herself red in the face. "You! Little Sandburg. Get her under control."

Jamie got back to his feet and came up behind Maggie, putting his arms around her and pulling her backwards. He talked in a low voice, next to her ear, sounding much steadier than he felt.

"Quiet down now, Magpie. It's okay. He didn't hurt me. Sit down. Shh now." It took a few minutes but he finally got her to settle. Once the fight went out of her she was exhausted and curled up in his lap, eyelids drooping.

"I want Daddy."

"I know, Maggie. Me too." Jamie glared at John. "You leave her alone"

For some reason John looked happy instead of angry, as Jamie had expected. "Whatever you say, _Mister_ Sandburg. I'll be back in a little while with some food."

Jamie just stared at him. He knew he wasn't supposed to take food from strangers, especially bad ones. He was really thirsty, though, and he knew Maggie must be too. He waited for John to leave before he looked down at her. Her face was still flushed and her pony tails were lopsided.

"You okay, Magpie?"

"Sleepy."

"Go ahead and take a nap. I won't let anyone hurt you." He kissed the top of her head.

"My Jamie," she murmured, snuggling in. Less than a minute later she was asleep.

Jamie took a deep breath and tried to do the relaxation exercises his dad had taught him. He wished Uncle Jimmy could read minds, too, so he could send him a message. Or maybe his dad could meditate and somehow figure out where he was.

"Please find us," he whispered.

*o*o*o*

Jim was on edge, unable to sit still. Rafe and Brown had interviewed each of them thoroughly, and Julie had been able to give them a lot of information thanks to Blair's help in recalling details. Simon stayed behind to find out if there was a Sentinel connection, which Jim was certain of. Blair had agreed.

Jenny was still angry, and Julie was full of nervous energy – she'd made coffee and sandwiches for everyone, including the cops. But Jim was really worried about Blair, who had been the picture of calm composure. A Sentinel scan showed a slightly elevated heart rate, but everything else was normal. He was detached from the whole situation.

"Unless they contact you, we really don't know what the game is," Simon said, chewing on an unlit cigar.

"They won't hurt them, right?" Julie asked. She slid her arm around Jim's waist and he hugged her tightly. "If they're going to be leverage of some kind they're safe. Right?"

Simon exchanged a look with Jim, who dropped a kiss on his wife's head. "Until we hear otherwise, we have no reason to believe they'll be harmed. Maybe if I try again to find a trail…"

Jenny shook her head. "They covered their tracks too well, Jimmy. You'll send yourself into a zone or worse if you try any harder, and that won't help anyone."

He sighed, knowing she was right. He hated feeling so helpless. "Maybe we could…Jacob?"

Jim suddenly realized that his little nephew was in the room, and wondered how long he'd been listening in.

"Did the bad guys steal Maggie and Jamie cause they're special?" he asked, wide-eyed. He looked so much like his mother he could've been a clone.

Blair scooped him up and held him close. "We don't know why the bad guys stole them, buddy, but Uncle Jimmy and I are gonna get them back safe and sound."

"Will they try to steal me too?"

Jenny wrapped her arms around her husband and son. "Of course not, angel."

Jacob frowned. "Okay. Can I play Legos?"

"You go ahead and play." Blair gave him a kiss and Jim could see the cracks finally starting to show. Jacob ran off to play and Blair headed out the back door without a word to anyone. Jenny started to go after him, but her sister stopped her.

"Let Jim go," she said.

Jenny seemed torn, but then she nodded. Jim looked at Simon, who waved him off.

"I'll get the recorder ready for when they call," he said. "Go on."

Jim found Blair out in the yard, staring at one of the dog's chew toys that had been left out in the grass. He was holding himself so rigid that Jim was afraid he'd snap right in half.

"Chief."

"Did they know the dog is at the vet?" he asked conversationally, though Jim could easily hear the tension in every word. "How long have they been watching and waiting?"

"I'm sorry, Blair," he said sincerely. Bad enough he got his own daughter kidnapped, why did they have to take Jamie too?

Blair turned on him, eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you apologizing for here, Jim? I suppose you're ready to shoulder the responsibility for all this."

"If this is a Sentinel thing, then yes." Which Jim believed it to be, and it killed him to be the cause of this.

"Jesus, I thought we were past this." Blair ran a hand through his curly hair. "Someone kidnapped our children, Jim, and unless you gave them express permission to do so I don't know why you're accepting the blame. Except for your needless desire to make yourself suffer."

"Blair…"

"You know, I was happy when Jamie showed a natural tendency towards being a Guide, especially for Maggie. Such a cool thing to pass down, right? But I thought he had a few more years before the Sandburg curse kicked in."

"What are you talking about?" Jim asked, confused.

"Oh, please. Nine years old and he's been kidnapped. What's next? Booby trapped elevator? Hostage situation in the fourth grade?" Blair was starting to sound a bit hysterical, and Jim put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, Chief."

"You know what, Jim? None of that was your fault either. Or mine. Just dumb luck. We've done our best to protect our kids, but shit's gonna happen anyway. So we just need to find them. Okay?"

His voice cracked at the end and Jim pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back; it helped to calm both of them.

"We'll find them, Chief. And until we do, they'll take care of each other."

*o*o*o*

Jamie was trying to meditate, like he'd seen his dad do, when John came back. He had a sack from Wonderburger in one hand and a large cup with a straw in the other. Jamie tightened his hold on Maggie, who woke up the second the door had opened; she stayed still and quiet in her cousin's lap.

"You kids like burgers?" John asked cheerfully. He sat down on the rubbery floor with them and started digging through the bag. "I got some cheeseburgers and fries, and some popcorn chicken too."

Jamie's stomach clenched; they'd missed lunch and he was so hungry. When Maggie reached out he tugged her hand back. "We don't take food from strangers."

"Oh, come on now," John grinned. "I thought we were friends."

"Then take us home," Jamie said, wishing he sounded more like his dad and less like a scared little kid.

"Not quite yet," John replied. "How about if I solemnly swear that nothing bad will happen if you eat this food?"

Jamie looked down at Maggie, who nodded. John was telling the truth about that at least. He quickly grabbed the drink container and took several greedy pulls on the straw. Root beer. His mother wouldn't approve, but he was too thirsty to care. He made sure Maggie had some too.

"There's a good girl," John said approvingly. But when Maggie reached for the food he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer.

"Hey!" Jamie tried to pull her back but John was stronger. He was examining Maggie's bare arm, the one he'd grabbed earlier, only now he was clearly unhappy.

"She's not a full Sentinel?" he asked, disappointed.

Jamie didn't like that John knew that word. Had he put something on Maggie's arm, like a test? Once Uncle Jimmy had a rash when Aunt Julie changed laundry soap. He wasn't about to tell John anything, though, and he clamped his lips together to keep a single word from slipping out.

"Not much of a talker, are you?" John chuckled, releasing Maggie's arm. "Not very Sandburgian of you."

"Don't be mean," Maggie scolded.

"My apologies." John grinned. "Very protective of you, isn't she Junior?"

Maggie snatched the sack of food from him and gave it to Jamie, who dug out the popcorn chicken for her. John watched them with open curiosity.

"No. Not complete yet," he mused to himself. "But something tells me that won't be the case in another few years."

Jamie didn't like the look in the man's eyes and scooted back towards the wall with Maggie, who dragged along the food.

"Don't worry. I'll have one of my men call your parents. You'll be home in time for dinner. Or thereabouts." John patted Maggie on the head. "I'll be seeing you again, little princess."

"My daddy will make you cry," she replied flatly.

"He'll have to catch me first," John laughed. He got to his feet and brushed off his pants. "It's been a pleasure, kids. Say hello to your fathers for me."

This time when he left the room, the other man went with him. Jamie could hear the door being locked, and he hoped John wasn't lying about calling his dad. He really wanted to go home.

*o*o*o*

Though it killed him to wait, Jim tried not to get snappy with Simon. The kidnappers had finally called, only they'd made no demands; they merely gave an address where the children could be picked up. Down by the docks, of course. Jim swore that if there was so much as a scratch on either one of them, someone would be in for a lifetime of pain.

Finally the team was assembled, outfitted with Kevlar, and waiting for Jim's go-ahead. Blair had asked if Jim could pinpoint the location of the kids, but he'd had to admit that he couldn't hear anyone inside; it scared him to death. What if Jamie and Maggie weren't here and it was just a trap? Worse, what if they _were_ inside and there just wasn't anything to hear?

"Okay, what else can you sense?" Blair asked calmly, though the fear in his eyes was clear. "Anything to indicate a timer or other trap?"

Jim closed his eyes, listening harder than he ever had. He dialed up smell, too, looking for explosives. He was rewarded with an aural anomaly.

"What is it?" Blair asked, his hand clutching Jim's wrist.

"There's some kind of…dead zone. I don't know how else to describe it." Jim listened again. "There's lots of noise in there – creaking metal, dripping water, rats. But in the middle of all that is nothing."

Blair bit his bottom lip, eyes narrowed as he thought that through. Jim waited patiently, Simon less so.

"Wait. Could it be white noise generators?"

Jim nodded and spared a grin for his partner. "I think you nailed it, Chief. I can't hear what's behind them, though, so we need to be careful."

Simon let Jim take point, since he could lead them right where they needed to go. With Blair right behind him acting as an anchor for his senses, Jim opened them up wide; he didn't want any surprises. The team made their way into the deserted warehouse, using only hand signals to communicate. Jim led them to an office in the middle of the warehouse, the source of the dead zone. As Blair had guessed, there were several high-powered white noise generators outside the room. Simon tried the door.

"Locked," he whispered.

Blair came forward and pulled a small zippered case from his pocket. Inside was an assortment of lock picking tools. Simon rolled his eyes.

"Do I want to know?" he hissed.

"I took a class," Blair whispered back. In less than two minutes he had the door unlocked. He stepped back to let Jim through first, gun up and ready. A quick look told him all he needed to know.

"Clear!" he called, clicking the safety on his gun and holstering it. Maggie and Jamie had been curled up together on the floor, sleeping, but as soon as Jim spoke Maggie was awake and on the move.

"Daddy!"

He dropped to his knees and held his arms out; his daughter practically leapt into them. He hugged her tight, swamped with relief and a little shaky with nerves. A Sentinel scan assured him that both kids were alright.

"I knew you'd find us," Jamie said as Blair looked him over for injuries after hugging the stuffing out of him. "I can describe the man who took us. I paid real close attention."

"I'll just bet you did," Blair said approvingly. "Are you two okay?"

"John fed us," Jamie said. "I know we shouldn't have eaten it…"

Blair hugged him again. "No, it's okay. You had to keep your strength up. You did good."

"He wasn't John," Maggie said. "He was a liar."

Jim stood, carrying his daughter with him. "He lied about his name?"

Jamie nodded. "She knew right away. Tell the rest, Magpie."

"What else, sweetheart?" Jim asked, but Maggie hid her face in his neck.

"It's okay, Mags, you can tell us," Blair coaxed. He kept one arm around Jamie's shoulders and patted her on the back with the other.

"Daddy will get mad, Uncle Chief," she mumbled.

"I promise I won't. You know I'm telling the truth, sweetheart. Listen."

Maggie raised her head and looked at Jim. Then she looked down at Jamie, who nodded encouragingly. She sighed.

"He called his friends. I heard him outside."

Jim exchanged a look with Blair. He knew his partner had seen how soundproof the room had been made. Thick acoustic tiles covered the walls, there were baffles hanging from the ceiling, and even the door had acoustic seals. Add that to the white noise generators, and no Sentinel should have been able to hear anything beyond that room.

"There are a lot of white noise generators, like in your room. Are you sure?"

Maggie looked at Jamie and nodded. "I don't hear those anymore."

"You learned to tune them out?" Blair asked, incredulous. "When did that happen?"

"That day we went to the movies," Jamie said. "The one with the fairies."

"That was three months ago!" his father exclaimed.

Jim looked at his daughter with a mixture of exasperation, anxiety and respect. She had only two heightened senses but she was already off the charts with both of them. He wasn't looking forward to puberty.

"What did he say his name was?" Jim asked, getting back to important matters. He'd have to brainstorm with Julie, Blair and Jenny later to figure out something to replace the generators with.

Maggie rested her head on Jim's shoulder. "He said, 'This is Brackett. It's too soon.'"

Jim fought to keep control of himself, not wanting to upset the kids. Inside, he boiled with rage. Lee Brackett. When the hell had he gotten out of prison and why hadn't anyone notified him? He had to know he was as good as dead for having dared to lay a finger on his daughter.

"He said he was your friend," Jamie told Blair. "But we knew he was lying."

"Liar, liar, pants on fire," Maggie put in.

"What else did he say?" Blair asked, looking equally as enraged.

"He knew Maggie was a Sentinel. Said she wasn't finished, and he'd see us again."

"He pushed Jamie," Maggie said with a frown.

Blair sent Jim a look filled with fury, and he nodded. Brackett was _not_ going to get near his family again.

"Can we go home?" Jamie asked. "I want Mommy."

"Of course. Simon?" Blair looked over at the door, where his friend waited.

"I'll take care of this, Sandburg. You guys get your kids home. I'll stop by later."

"Bye, Uncle Simon." Maggie waved at him, and he waved back.

*o*o*o*

Jim sat on the porch swing next to Jamie, watching the stars come out. Julie was giving Maggie a bath, and Jenny was helping Jacob clean up the mess he'd made with the Legos. Blair unashamedly eavesdropped from the open kitchen window.

"I'm real proud of you," Jim said. "So is your dad. You kept your head, and you kept Maggie safe. Thank you."

Jamie blushed, looking down at his feet. "Maggie was brave, too. She was kicking John. I bet he's got bruises."

"I hope he does," Jim said darkly, receiving a quiet reprimand from the kitchen.

"I was scared," Jamie admitted, his voice almost too soft for a Sentinel to hear. Jim put an arm around him.

"Fear can help you make good choices, actually. It's called self preservation."

"Have you ever been scared?"

"Lots of times," Jim said honestly. "Sometimes for myself, sometimes for other people. Today I was scared for you and Maggie."

"Really?"

"Really really. It's okay to be scared, as long as you don't let it stop you." Jim grinned. "Your dad is afraid of heights, but he came with me on a trip to save Uncle Simon and Daryl, and he had to jump out of a plane even though he was so scared."

There was a snort of laughter from Blair, but Jamie was wide-eyed. "He did?"

"He sure did. Your dad is the bravest man I know."

"I wanna be just like him when I grow up," Jamie said. "He knows everything, and he's really nice. Even when I get in trouble."

"He's always real nice to me too," Jim agreed. "You better head on in and get cleaned up for bed."

Jamie gave him a quick hug before darting back in the house to find his mother. Jim took a moment to listen in on his own place, and heard Julie reading Maggie a bedtime story. They'd started _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ a week ago and were working their way through it.

"Hell of a day." Blair took Jamie's vacated seat on the swing, looking a bit moist around the eyes.

"Tomorrow we'll look into beefing up security here," Jim said. "I'll also get in touch with one of my old friends in Central Intelligence, see if there's some way to keep tabs on Brackett. He so much as thinks about Cascade, I want to know it."

"Maybe I should talk to Jack Kelso, too," Blair offered. "Never know what useful information he may have."

"Sounds good. The more help the better." Jim closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

"He'll be back, won't he?" Blair asked with a weary sigh. "That guy's still a dick."

"Yeah, on both counts. If you're right, which is bound to happen sometimes…"

"Asshole."

"…then Maggie will eventually get the other three senses online. I'm sure he's considered that too. Seems like he only wants the full package."

"Well, hopefully we've got at least eight years to get a plan in place," Blair said. "I'm sure we can come up with something good by then."

Jim bumped him with his shoulder. "With all the brain power we've got around here, it shouldn't be a problem."

"I hope you're right, Jim. Cause I can't go through this again."

"That makes two of us, Chief."

*o*o*o*

That night Maggie had her first dream of the blue jungle, though she didn't remember it when she woke.

* * *

_**AN:** Here I am, getting right into the action. Of course I had to bring Brackett back. He's such a good villain! I imagine he's kept tabs on his old buddy Jim all these years and couldn't resist taking a peek at his Sentinel offspring. Will he really be back? Of course he will. LOL!_


	3. We've Got Spirit

**We've Got Spirit**

When Jamie first started seeing the bird, he didn't tell anyone about it, not even Maggie. It was a little secret he wanted just for himself. With two Sentinels around all the time, secrets were hard to keep, and he knew one of them would see the bird eventually. But neither of them did.

Jamie was sure it was some kind of hawk, but he had to check his dad's bird encyclopedia to be sure; his dad had books for everything. He read the book from cover to cover just to be sure but he knew it the minute he saw it. Dark brown feathers on the head and back, spotty white and brown on the breast and underside of the wings. Size of a large crow, but not a crow or a hawk. A peregrine falcon.

"Do you see that bird?" Jamie asked after a few days. He pointed to the tree where it roosted. Even without Sentinel sight, Maggie should've been able to pick it out. But she just looked at him, confused.

"What bird?"

Jamie didn't ask again, but he did start to worry. He was only nine, but he knew it wasn't good to see things that weren't there. There were lots of things about being a Guide that were totally cool, but his dad never mentioned invisible animals.

He tried to ignore the falcon after that, but it refused to be ignored. Instead it started flying closer and closer, landing on the ground near him and staring at him with its head cocked to the side, bright blue eyes unblinking.

"Shoo!" Jamie waved his hands at it, but all the falcon did was hop back a step and let out a little squawk which somehow sounded annoyed.

"Get lost!" he hissed, looking to see if anyone was watching. He should've been more concerned with who was listening.

"Jamie?" Maggie came out of her pink princess playhouse, head cocked just like the falcon's.

"Hey, Magpie."

"Is something wrong?"

Jamie kicked himself. It had only been a couple of weeks since they'd been snatched out of their own yard and Maggie was always on alert now. He didn't want to worry her.

"A bug was bugging me," he said with a laugh.

Maggie studied him for a moment longer before giggling. Jamie had never been so thankful that he was the only person who could get away with lying.

A few days after that, the falcon perched on Jamie's shoulder, which scared him as much as it delighted him. Seeing things that weren't there was one thing, but he could actually _feel_ the weight of the bird. He reached up a tentative hand and stroked its feathered head. This time it gave a squawk of pleasure, and he grinned.

"You're being weird," Maggie said, catching him in the act. "I don't like it."

"Boys are always weird," Jamie replied, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the falcon as it brushed against his ear.

"You're weirdest."

"You're weird times infinity." And to make sure Maggie stayed distracted, he followed that up with lots of tickling; the falcon took off for the safety of the tree. Breathless, Maggie ran for the house and Jamie smugly watched her go. He was getting pretty good at diversions. His smile faded when he saw the bobcat loping along beside his pint-sized Sentinel.

*o*o*o*

Blair stood at the kitchen sink, washing the lunch dishes. Behind him at the table, Maggie and Jacob were trying to outdo each other with Playdough constructions.

"Not everything needs to be a competition," he said over his shoulder. Not that he expected either of them to listen. The analytical part of his brain noted that Jacob always seemed to be jockeying for attention, and the father part of him felt a pang for his youngest for just that reason. He and Jenny spent a lot of one-on-one time with him, but it seemed the people he wanted the most acknowledgement from were his brother and his cousin; he often ended up being the third wheel with them.

Blair cast his eye out the window, which overlooked the back porch and a chunk of the yard. Jamie was out under the oak tree near Jim's place, and he couldn't figure out what his son was doing. He had one arm out in front of him, elbow bent and wrist held rigid. His lips were moving but Blair was too far away to hear what he was saying.

"What is he doing?" he murmured to himself.

"He's talking to his imaginary friend," Maggie said without looking up from her art project. "Hey, Jakers, look at my two-headed lion. He breathes fire!"

"Jamie has an imaginary friend?" When did that start? Blair dried his hands. It didn't make sense, not when he already had two ready-made playmates at home, and friends at school; especially when he factored in his son's special relationship with Maggie.

"Jenny!" Blair called. "Going outside."

"Okay!" she called back.

Thus relieved of indoor babysitting duty Blair headed out back to see what was going on with his eldest son.

"Hey, buddy."

Jamie shot Blair a look of pure guilt and jerked his arm, quickly dropping it back to his side.

"Hey, Dad."

"What are you up to out here?" Blair leaned against the tree.

"Nothing. Just…playing."

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right son?" Blair gave him his most non-threatening, understanding look. Jamie was usually an open book, but Blair was having a hard time reading him. It made him uneasy.

"I'm fine," Jamie said with a shrug.

Blair was torn. He didn't want to pry, but at the same time he could tell his son was keeping something from him. His internal debate ended when Maggie came running out with Rinny at her heels and threw herself at Jamie.

"Play with me!" she demanded.

Knowing he was beat, at least for the moment, Blair gave one pigtail a tug and then bent down to pet the dog.

"Keep an eye on these two, Rinny," he said. The dog just looked back at him, tongue lolling. Blair laughed and went in search of Jacob.

*o*o*o*

Jamie decided that the invisible animals were a Sentinel thing, though he didn't know why he was the only one who could see them. There was no animal attached to his mother, or Jacob, or Aunt Julie. But there was a wolf that sometimes padded alongside his dad, and a big black panther that stayed close to Uncle Jimmy. Once he'd gotten over his initial trepidation, he'd interacted with all of them.

The panther and the wolf played together a lot, tumbling around on the lawn while Rinny remained oblivious. Jamie had used the panther as a pillow, lying out in the yard with all that silky fur under his head. His own falcon would come when called, alighting on his arm or his shoulder. The bobcat, though, kept mostly to herself and watched the others from a distance.

It was all a lot of fun, but Jaime was getting close to cracking. Maggie knew something was going on and so did his dad. Even Jacob had told him he was acting crazy. He wanted to share the animals, he really did, but he knew what happened to people who saw things that weren't there – they put you in one of those crazy people hospitals and gave you medicine to make the animals go away. Jamie didn't want them to go away.

In the end it was Maggie who decided for him. She was at her house, taking a nap. Jamie reclined under the tree, reading a book about aliens with the wolf stretched out beside him and the falcon scratching in the grass. As soon as Maggie started to scream he was on the run.

By the time he got to his cousin's room, Uncle Jimmy had her on his lap and was rocking her. "It was just a dream, sweetheart."

Maggie shook her head, contrary even with tears on her cheeks. "Not a dream!"

"Everything okay, Jim?" Jamie's dad had come in behind him. No moms, because they'd gone shopping and took Jacob with them.

"Nightmare," Uncle Jimmy said.

"No!" Maggie insisted. "There was a big kitty on my bed. He had sharp teeth and a scary face."

Jamie looked around the room and saw the bobcat crouching unhappily in the corner.

"Was it a big black cat, Mags?" his dad asked, and Jamie looked at him in surprise. Did he know about Uncle Jimmy's panther? Why didn't he ever say anything?

Maggie shook her head, and Jamie did too. He didn't want her to be scared of it; it wasn't going to hurt her.

"It's okay, Magpie," he said. He sat down on the floor in front of her bed. "She won't hurt you."

Jamie motioned the bobcat over and she crept slowly forward until he could put his hand on her head. "She's a bobcat and she's special. Only special people can see her."

"Oh my God," his dad whispered.

Maggie eyed the wild cat warily. "She's a girl?"

"Yup. Do you want to pet her?"

"Will she bite me?"

"No way! She's a protector. Your dad and my dad have them too."

"They do?" Maggie climbed down from Uncle Jimmy's lap and sat in Jamie's. He held her hand out to touch the bobcat on the neck, where the fur was thickest.

"She's really mine?" Maggie whispered.

"You bet. But you have to keep it secret, because not everyone can see her. And they'll think you're weird."

"Jamie!" his father exclaimed. He had a rule about saying things were weird or not normal or freaky. Unhealthy labels, he called them. But Maggie understood right away and laughed.

"You're weird! You played with them!"

"You can see them?" Uncle Jimmy asked quietly. "All of them?"

Jamie shrugged. "Yeah. You have a big black panther and Dad has a wolf."

"Do you see them all the time?" his dad asked, looking surprised.

"They're not always here, and sometimes it's just one or two."

"What's yours?" Maggie asked, getting bolder with her bobcat; she scratched under its chin and Jamie swore he heard purring.

"Mine's called a peregrine falcon. It's a bird."

As if summoned, the falcon flew in the open window and perched on the end of the bed. Maggie clapped excitedly.

"I see it! I see it!"

"Totally cool, right?"

"Cool!" Maggie echoed.

*o*o*o*

Blair sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Jim's couch, studying his son with an intensity he never had before. He'd been mistakenly operating under the assumption that being a Guide meant pretty much the same for Jamie as it did for him, or for anyone with that particular calling. Not that he'd met anyone else besides Jamie who had it. But just as Maggie already seemed to be showing a greater acuity with her Sentinel senses, his own son seemed to be operating at a whole other level as well.

"Am I in trouble?" Jamie asked uncertainly.

Blair reached out and patted him on the knee. "No trouble. Why didn't you tell me about the animals?"

"It's not normal. Seeing stuff other people don't see."

"No, it's not normal," Blair agreed. "You should know by now that just because other people can't do something doesn't make it bad, or wrong. Maggie can see and hear better than anyone, even Uncle Jimmy."

"I know." Jamie looked down at his hands. "You didn't say you saw them too."

Blair heard the accusation in his son's voice and acknowledged it.

"You're right, I never told you. But I don't see them like you do. Uncle Jimmy has seen his panther, but usually only when there's some kind of trouble." Blair closed his eyes for a minute, remembering. "I only saw the panther and the wolf once. Uncle Jimmy saved my life that day, and the spirit animals helped him."

It was still the most amazing thing he'd ever witnessed, though the births of his sons came a close second. The miracle of life, always unforgettable.

"So how come I can see them? And touch them?" Jamie asked.

"I'm not sure, buddy," Blair replied honestly. "Could be you're more than a Guide. You might be a natural-born Shaman as well."

He was filled with pride at the thought, as well as a surprising amount of envy. Jamie had a clearer view of the spirit world than he did, could actually physically interact with it. It was amazing, and perhaps a bit alarming as well. What else would his son be manifesting as he grew older? What would these abilities mean for his life, his future?

"He's here, you know," Jamie said, breaking Blair out of his reverie.

"Who?"

"The wolf. He's sitting next to you, licking your hand."

Blair closed his eyes, and for just a moment he swore he could feel the glide of a wet tongue against his skin.

"Wow."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Dad."

"I'm sorry too, buddy. I should have anticipated this and told you about it first."

Jamie scooted off the couch and gave Blair a tight hug.

"We'll figure things out together, son. I promise."

"I believe you, Dad," Jamie said with a grin.

"So do I!" Maggie called from upstairs.

Blair couldn't help but laugh. But already his mind was in his office, mentally running through his books and making a list of the ones he'd need to pull out. It was long past time for research mode to kick in.

"We need to run some tests…"

* * *

_**AN:** I have to admit that this chapter was influenced by the Sentinel School series by Lady Ra, over at 852 Prospect. The spirit animals in her fics are very prevalent characters and I thought it might be cool for Jamie to be much more in synch with them than Blair or Jim have ever been. Just another way the next generation has it over the previous one, LOL!_


	4. First Day

**First Day**

Jim strode down the hall, grim and determined. He hadn't felt this way since his days on the force, when faced with a particularly odious interrogation. His jaw clenched and immediately his wife took his hand in hers.

"Stand down, soldier," she said with a grin. "You're going to scare Ms. Rinski."

"What if she doesn't understand?" he replied. He was swamped with doubt and anxiety. "What if this isn't the right decision?"

Julie sighed. "Sweetie, we've been through this. If this school isn't the right fit for Maggie, we have other options. You know Blair has a list."

Jim just grunted. She was right. They had spent the last year debating public school versus private school, home school versus private tutor. Both Blair and Julie had agreed that it was important for Maggie to have a normal childhood as much as possible. So they were starting with public school, the same one that Jacob was enrolled in.

"Here it is," Julie said. They'd come to a door marked K-Rinski. "Let's meet Maggie's new teacher."

Ms. Rinski was young; if she was a day over twenty-five Jim would eat his Jags cap. He couldn't decide if her age was a good thing, because her education was more current and she was probably still excited about teaching, or a bad thing because she lacked experience. She was petite, a little thick around the middle, and wore her blonde hair in a long braid down her back.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ellison? It's a pleasure to meet you." The teacher shook their hands. "I'd offer you a seat, but…"

She waved her hand at the diminutive furniture. Jim let Julie make small talk while he wandered around the classroom. There was a reading area with a rocking chair for the teacher and a brightly patterned rug for the kids to sit on. Bathroom, computer center with six desktops, a plastic play kitchen in a corner with other toys, a Smartboard up front. There were shelves full of books, and posters on the walls showing cartoon kids using good manners. The whole room had a very pleasant, welcoming feel. Jim didn't like it.

"So, I understand you have some concerns about your daughter starting Kindergarten?" Ms. Rinski sorted several bins of math manipulatives as she talked. "Is Maggie your only child?"

"Yes, she is," Julie replied. "I'm afraid she's a little spoiled."

"She's not spoiled." This was a common argument between Jim and his wife, one that not even Blair chose to get involved in. Julie claimed that Maggie had too many toys and was indulged too often. Jim maintained that it didn't matter what she had as long as she appreciated it and didn't expect to have everything handed to her.

"What are your specific concerns?"

"My husband has several serious allergies. Maggie hasn't developed any so far, but we worry that it could happen at any time."

In some ways Maggie was like a ticking time bomb. None of them knew when her other senses would come online, if they even did at all. Blair surmised that the onset of puberty might do it. Jim was worried it would happen spontaneously in the middle of school and no-one there would know what to do.

"We have an experienced RN on staff," Ms. Rinski said. "Our school cafeteria is peanut free, and arrangements can be made for gluten free meals as well. And I can promise you that at the slightest sign of any kind of allergy you would be notified immediately."

"Maggie also has certain…sensitivities," Julie continued. "Loud noises and bright lights sometimes have an adverse effect on her."

Ms. Rinski put the manipulatives down and clasped her hands together. "Mr. and Mrs. Ellison, all first-time parents worry when their child starts school. It's hard to trust your daughter's care to someone else for seven hours every day. But I can assure you that Maggie will be well looked after here."

"She can write her name, knows the alphabet, and is already starting to read," Jim said, not sure why he sounded so defensive about it.

The teacher smiled. "I'm pleased to hear it. Maggie will be very successful in school with that kind of support at home. Not all of our students are that fortunate."

"We want to be involved as much as possible," Julie said. "I work from home so it's easy for me to come in whenever you need."

"I'll certainly keep that in mind, thank you."

Jim thought it best not to mention that he intended to run a full background check on Ms. Rinski as soon as possible. He thought he might also check out the school itself, just to be sure everything was up to code.

"Please don't worry," Ms. Rinski said. "We shouldn't have any trouble seeing to your daughter's special needs."

"Maggie _isn't_ a special needs kid!" Jim glowered and the teacher casually retreated behind her desk.

"I didn't say she was."

"Jim, calm down." Julie put a hand on his arm.

"She's a regular kid, and I don't want you treating her any different." Jim was all too aware of how schools labeled kids these days. He didn't want Maggie slotted in as "special needs" right off the bat, or denied any advantages because some teacher thought she was different.

"No, this was a bad idea," he muttered. "Public school is a bad idea."

"Mr. Ellison…"

Julie tugged on Jim's arm, pulling him out of the room. She smiled at Ms. Rinski, who was starting to look like she wished she had a panic button to push.

"It was very nice meeting you, Ms. Rinski." Julie opened the door and pushed Jim through it. "Thank you for your time!"

"Julie, Maggie's not ready for this." Jim leaned against the wall, next to a bulletin board decorated with paper apples.

"No, _you're_ not ready for this. Maggie's going to be fine, Jim."

"But what if…"

"What if what? If something happens with her senses they'll notify us and we'll take care of it. She knows how to be careful."

Jim looked into his wife's pretty green eyes and sighed. He knew she was worried too, and maybe it was just first time jitters. Maybe it was Jim's own past history coming to the surface.

"Six weeks," he said. "If it's not going well in six weeks we look at other options."

"Agreed."

Jim pulled her into a hug. "It's all going to change again."

"It always does."

"Yeah. Let's go home."

*o*o*o*

Maggie was so excited she couldn't help bouncing around. It was the first day of Kindergarten and she'd been thinking of nothing else for weeks. Finally she'd be in school, just like Jakers and Jamie. Even better, she got to have her official first day picture taken under the big tree in the yard, wearing her new purple dress and shiny white shoes.

"Okay, now all three of you," Aunt Jenny said. She and Mommy were both taking lots of pictures.

Maggie stood between Jamie and Jakers, the boys making goofy faces. She reached up and carefully touched the special braids that Mimi had put in her hair.

"You all look wonderful," she said. Maggie loved Mimi, who always wore long, pretty dresses and sent her gifts whenever she took a trip. She was Uncle Chief's mommy and she stayed at the house sometimes when she was visiting.

Uncle Chief came out of the house loaded down with backpacks. Maggie's was pink camouflage and had her name on the front pocket. Inside were her brand new school supplies and her Superman lunchbox. Jakers had said Superman was for boys, but she knew that wasn't true because she was gonna be a superhero someday just like Daddy.

"Anyone who needs to go to school better hop in the family truckster," Daddy called from the driveway.

There was lots of hugging, and Mommy even cried a little, but finally she was in the truck and strapped into her booster seat, right next to Jamie. Daddy and Uncle Chief did school drop-off every morning on their way to work.

"Why can't we take the bus?" she asked again.

"You know why," Daddy said patiently from the driver's seat.

"All the kids go on the bus," she pointed out. Not that she really cared, because this way she could sit by Jamie, but sometimes she just couldn't help but argue.

"School buses don't have seat belts or booster seats. They're not safe."

It was the same thing Daddy always said, and Maggie decided not to push her luck. She didn't want to get in trouble on her first day.

"Are you nervous?" Jamie asked her.

Maggie couldn't lie, not to him. He was her favorite cousin and her bestest friend, and what Uncle Chief called her Guide, so that meant he was really special. And it was wrong to tell lies to someone that special.

"A little," she admitted. "What if no-one likes me?"

"Why wouldn't they? I do."

"Well I don't," Jakers said from the seat behind them.

"Jacob!" Uncle Chief admonished. "You be nice."

"Sorry," he said, then in a quiet voice just for Maggie he added, "Sorry you're a goober."

"I heard that," Daddy said, and Jakers scowled.

"You'll make lots of friends," Jamie said, ignoring his brother. "And after school you can tell me all about it."

They came to Jamie's school first. He was in middle school now and Maggie was sad that they wouldn't be in the same building.

"Have a good first day, buddy," Uncle Chief told him.

"Make us proud," Daddy said.

They waited until Jamie went inside the school before driving away, and Maggie felt like she might cry. She wished her cousin could come with her to Kindergarten and help her make friends; he was good at that.

It was only a short drive from Jamie's school to Maggie's. This time Daddy parked the truck in the parking lot and they all got out. Jakers said he knew where to go and took off on his own. Maggie didn't mind having Daddy and Uncle Chief all to herself.

"I've got something for you," Daddy said. He took her backpack and when he gave it back there was a little bobcat pin on the pocket under her name.

"Just like Stripes!" she said happily. Even though they'd told her the invisible animals didn't need names, she wanted her bobcat to have one anyway. And she _was_ a little stripey.

"Do you remember what we talked about, Mags?" Uncle Chief squatted down so he could see her better.

"I have to be like Clark Kent," Maggie said dutifully. "I can't tell my secret identity."

"That's right!" Uncle Chief smiled. "That goes for Stripes too, okay?"

"What if I need Jamie?" she whispered. Sometimes she got headaches and he could always make her feel better.

"Then you go see the nurse," Daddy said. "And she'll call us. Okay?"

"Okay."

"And you remember the safe word?"

"Flutterbutts," Maggie giggled.

"You'll do just fine." Uncle Chief gave her a big hug and tugged one of her braids. "We'll pick you up after school."

"Bye!" Daddy held her hand and walked with her into the school and to her classroom. Maggie memorized the way; she was really good with directions. They stopped just outside the open door and she could see the other kids inside playing with toys.

Daddy took hold of her face in both big hands. "You be a good girl. You're gonna do great today." He bent down and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

"For true," Maggie said with a grin.

"For true," Daddy repeated. He smiled back at her but his voice sounded funny, like Mommy had sounded earlier. "Go get 'em, Supergirl."

*o*o*o*

Jim and Blair sat outside the elementary school, waiting for the bell to sound. Jim tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and stretched his hearing out enough to locate his little girl's heartbeat.

"Were you this nervous your first day of school?" Blair asked in amusement. "You've been useless all day, man."

"Not everyone gets as excited about school as you do, Chief."

"At least she let you walk her in," he said glumly. "Jacob always has to do things on his own."

"Younger brother syndrome," Jim explained, drawing his hearing back so the bell wouldn't deafen him when it rang. "Steven was the same way. He always wanted to do what I was doing."

"Doesn't make it any easier on the dad," Blair grumbled.

The bell finally rang and Jim was out of the truck before it stopped. The front doors, kept locked during the day for safety, opened up and kids came pouring out, heading for their buses.

"Do you think she did okay?" Jim asked, nervous. "They'd have called otherwise, right?"

"Man, the college years are gonna be hell on you."

"Thanks a lot."

Jim kept his hearing dialed down against the noise, and zeroed in on Ms. Rinski's room. Maggie was sitting quietly at one of the round tables, looking a bit disheveled.

"Daddy!"

He soon had an armful of little girl and he gave her a big hug, thankful that everything seemed to be okay. He asked her at Sentinel hearing level if she'd had any trouble with her senses and she replied in kind that she'd been fine.

"Oh. Mr. Ellison." Ms. Rinski stayed behind her desk and eyed him warily. "I'm glad you're here. Do you have a minute?"

Jim had a bad feeling. He _knew_ there'd be some kind of trouble on the first day. He shifted Maggie around so she was on his back, legs wrapped around his waist and arms loosely curled around his neck.

"What happened?"

"Maggie is a bright girl, and very polite," Ms. Rinski said hesitantly.

"But?" Jim prompted.

"Well, she's a little aggressive. She got into a bit of a tussle with one of her classmates. She ripped his shirt."

"A fight?" he asked. Part of him was dismayed, but a bigger part was pumping its fist that his daughter had fought it out with a boy and come out on top. Blair would have a field day with _that_ throw-back attitude.

"That boy was mean, Daddy," Maggie asserted.

"Mean to you?" Jim's eyes narrowed and he felt himself getting angry that anyone would dare be mean to his little girl, but his daughter forestalled his incipient rage.

"Mean to Becca."

"Becca?"

"She's the youngest student in our class," Ms. Rinski explained. "I'm not convinced she's ready for school yet; she cried all morning."

"Becca's my friend, Daddy. And that boy teased her for being a cry baby."

Jim had to fight the urge to grin at Maggie's tone of righteous indignation. The teacher got defensive.

"Of course, we don't tolerate bullying of any kind at this school, but before I could intervene _your_ daughter had jumped on Marc and they were rolling around on the floor." Ms. Rinski put her hand on her neck, looking tired. "Maggie needs to understand that we can't have that kind of physical rough-housing here."

"Her mother and I will have a talk with her," Jim promised. "Let's go, young lady."

He set her back on her feet and waited for her to get her backpack. Blair and Jacob were waiting for them out in the hall, and Jim shook his head when his partner looked ready to ask questions. Maggie dragged her feet beside him, looking petulant. Once they were outside the school, he picked her up and swung her around, clearly confusing her even as she giggled.

"What's going on?" Blair asked.

Jacob held his arms out. "Now me, Uncle Jimmy!"

Jim happily obliged him. "Maggie got into a fight today," he said proudly.

Blair looked down at his little niece, seeing that one braid was partially undone and her dress was unusually rumpled. "Why is this good news?"

"You got in a fight?" Jacob asked, wide-eyed.

"Some boy was picking on her new friend and she stood up to him." Jim smiled smugly. "She out-bullied the bully."

Blair raised an eyebrow. "We'll talk later about your fixation with antiquated macho power displays. Mags, why did you help your friend?"

Maggie shrugged. "I don't know. She was sad and that boy was being a meaner. Becca can't help if she's the littlest."

Now it was Blair's turn to grin. "I see. Well, you know what this means?"

"What, Uncle Chief?"

"It means that after we pick up Jamie we have to go out for ice cream."

"Don't you think we should go home?" Jim asked, trying to get back into a responsible parent headspace. "I have to talk to Julie. Maggie did the right thing, but fighting at school is still unacceptable."

"Oh, I agree. But you need to look at the big picture here."

"And that is?"

"Maggie's tribe grew by one today, someone outside the family group, and she defended that tribe."

Jim looked down at his daughter, who was exchanging silly facial expressions with Jacob. "You think it's a Sentinel thing?"

"Come on, Jim. How long have you known me? I think _everything_ is a Sentinel thing."

They both laughed at that, and Jim opened up the back door of the truck. "Okay, everybody in. Let's go get Jamie, and then Uncle Chief is treating us all to ice cream."

"Hey, wait a minute!"

"Your idea, pal. Hmmm. I think I feel like a banana split."

"I want chocolate with sprinkles!" Maggie said as she snapped her seatbelt. "Jakers wants vanilla with rainbows."

"No I don't," Jacob protested.

"Yes you do," Maggie insisted.

Jim and Blair exchanged a look while their children continued to bicker.

"Hell of a first day." Jim chuckled.

"It's all downhill from here," Blair replied.

Jim put the truck in gear and pulled out of the parking lot. He decided he'd let Blair explain to Julie why their daughter fighting at school was a good thing. Now that was a conversation he couldn't wait to eavesdrop on.

* * *

_**AN:** And so another Sentinel starts school. LOL! I thought it would be fun to see Jim all nervous and on edge about turning over the care of his only daughter to the public school system. He should've known that Maggie can handle herself. Ha!_


	5. Dinner For Seven

**Dinner For Seven**

The Ellisons and the Sandburgs didn't always eat dinner together, but more often than not it made the most sense given how closely together they lived. Sometimes it was just the wives and the kids, if Jim and Blair had to work late on a case. Infrequently it was just the dads and the kids, when Jenny and Julie had a girl's night out. This night Blair and Jenny had a full house, everyone gathered around the large dining room table as bowls of pasta and meatballs were passed from person to person.

"We had a Sentinelite come in from Quebec," Blair said, helping himself to salad. "Of course, he speaks very little English and my French is pretty rusty."

"Which senses?" Jenny asked.

"Taste and smell. Those two are usually closely linked."

"Will I get those?" Maggie asked hopefully. Jim tweaked her nose.

"Don't rush things, Princess."

Jacob stabbed his meatball with his fork. "Daddy, I want to play indoor soccer."

"He brought home a flyer," Jenny said. "It starts in two weeks, every Saturday."

"Can I? Please?"

"Your mom and I will discuss it later," Blair replied.

"But _Dad_…"

"Want some cheese with that whine?" Jamie teased.

Jacob threw a cherry tomato at his older brother but Jim deftly intercepted it and popped it in his mouth.

"We don't throw food at the table," he said sternly.

"I learned about whales today," Maggie said, using her fingers to grab a piece of ziti. "Some of them have bulimia."

Julie choked on her pasta. Jim and Blair exchanged an amused look.

"That's _baleen_," Jamie corrected. "Bulimia is a disease."

"What kind of disease?" Jacob asked with interest.

"It's a puking disease," Jamie explained with a grin. His brother looked suitably grossed out.

"Jamie!" Jenny glared at him from across the table.

"We don't talk about puking at the table," Jim said.

"Sorry."

"Can you talk to whales, Daddy?" Maggie asked.

"I don't think that's part of a Sentinel's skill set, Mags," Blair chuckled.

"When I get big I'll talk to animals." Maggie plucked another piece of pasta off her plate.

"Use your fork, young lady," her mother chastised.

"We're having Career Day at school next week." Jamie snagged a piece of garlic bread. "I can bring one relative to talk to my class."

"What's Career Day?" Maggie asked, using her fingers to push pasta onto her fork. Julie sighed.

"A career is the kind of job you have," Jenny explained. "Like I'm a teacher. That's my career."

"So who are you inviting?" Blair asked. "Plenty of choices around the table here, buddy."

"Can girls be policers?" Maggie asked.

"Girls don't shoot guns," Jacob said derisively.

"Girls can certainly be police officers," Jim replied. "Girls can do anything boys can do."

"Better," Julie said under her breath, earning a raised eyebrow from her husband.

"Girls are better," Maggie sneered at her cousin.

"You should bring Uncle Jimmy," Blair said to Jamie. "He's been an Army Ranger, a police detective and a private investigator. He'd have great stories."

"Better stories than you, Chief?" Jim laughed. "The wild Anthropologist of Borneo?"

"He has a point, sweetie," Jenny said. "Anthropologist, police consultant – there's some good stuff there."

"Did you have adventures, Uncle Chief?" Maggie asked. "Did you get captured by cannonballs?"

Blair looked at her, confused. "Cannonballs?"

"She means cannibals," Jamie translated, blushing.

"Jamie Miles Sandburg, have you been telling Maggie scary stories again?" Jenny's face was stormy. "We've talked about this."

"But Mom…"

"As a matter of fact, I did have a run-in with cannibals once, in New Guinea," Blair said solemnly.

"Really?" Jacob watched him with wide eyes. "What happened?"

"They ATE me!" he shouted dramatically. The children broke out in gales of laughter and Jim rolled his eyes.

"On second thought," Jenny said with a scowl. "Maybe your father isn't the best choice."

Jim nodded his agreement. "No need to expose impressionable young minds to _that_ sense of humor."

"Can I have adventures when I'm big?" Maggie asked.

"Just as long as you stay away from the cannonballs," Blair said with a wink.

"I'm gonna be a anthropologist when I grow up," Jacob said. "Just like Daddy."

"That's a very good thing to be," Blair agreed.

Maggie slurped a piece of ziti into her mouth. "I'm gonna be a superhero like my daddy. And a princess, too."

"You can't be both," Jacob argued.

"Can too."

"Can not."

"Can too!"

"Can not! Infinity!" Jacob stuck out his tongue.

"Each of you can _be_ or _do_ whatever you set your minds to." Blair looked at each of the children in turn. "Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you do it well."

"What about you, Jamie?" Jim asked. "What do you want to be?"

The young boy shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe an animal doctor. I like animals."

"No!" Maggie cried. "You have to be my helper!"

"I'll always be that, Magpie," Jamie reassured her. "But I need a real job too."

"That's right," Jim said. "Uncle Chief is my Guide but he's also been a teacher and an adventurer."

Maggie pouted, her mouth framed by marinara sauce. "I can be his job."

"Not his job," Blair corrected. "His friend and his cousin, but never his job.

He exchanged a fond glance with Jim.

"You could invite your mother," Julie said, getting them back on topic. "Trying to get high school kids interested in Shakespeare is a hard job."

"Not as long as there are movies they can watch," Jenny laughed. "Most of them can't read Romeo and Juliet without thinking of Leonardo DiCaprio."

Julie grinned. "I like _10 Things I Hate About You_. Taming of the Shrew, wasn't it?"

"Does it matter?" her sister replied. "Heath Ledger. Yum!"

"I don't wanna hurt anyone's feelings," Jamie said.

"Don't worry about that, buddy," Blair said. "Whatever choice you make will be a good one."

"For true?" Jamie asked Maggie.

"For true," she confirmed.

"Then can Aunt Julie come for Career Day?"

Everyone turned to look at the aunt in question, who was looking at her nephew in surprise.

"You want _me_ to come?"

"Everyone saw the big picture you made for the buses," Jamie said eagerly. "The ones with the zoo animals."

"Those were great ads," Jim acknowledged, voice full of pride. "It still amazes me how you can design something on the computer and then suddenly it's all over town."

Julie grinned. "Wait till you see the billboards for the police department PR campaign. Brian Rafe, bigger than life and twice as adorable."

That earned a scowl from her husband, but Blair just laughed.

"Just think, big guy. If you were still with Major Crimes that could be you."

"Never happen, Chief. Bad enough I have to see myself in the mirror every day."

"What are you, fishing for compliments man? Jeez. You're a prime specimen of the male species, always have been. Get over it."

"I wouldn't share you anyway," Julie said with a gleam in her eye. "Put you up on a billboard and next thing I know hordes of women are knocking on the door."

Jim rolled his eyes at that one, but looked pleased nonetheless.

"I'm gonna draw big pictures like Mommy," Maggie decided.

"You have a busy life ahead of you, Mags." Blair reached over and tugged at one of her pigtails.

"Will you come?" Jamie asked his aunt.

"Of course I will. I'm honored, Jamie, thank you."

The boy flushed and ducked his head, grinning.

"What's for dessert?" Jacob asked.

"Nothing until you finish your dinner," Jenny replied.

"How many more bites?"

"This isn't _Let's Make A Deal_," Blair admonished. "Clean your plate."

Jacob sighed grumpily and pushed the rest of his ziti around with his fork.

"When will I be big?" Maggie asked.

"You have to get boobies first," Jacob said helpfully.

Jenny closed her eyes, looking pained. "Give me strength."

"We don't talk about boobies at the table," Jim said. Blair hid a grin behind his napkin.

"Don't be in a hurry to grow up," Julie said. "I might want to just keep you little forever."

"I can't be a superhero if I'm little," Maggie protested.

"Plenty of time for that, Princess." Jim pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Finished." Jacob held his empty plate up. "Can I have dessert now?"

"Everyone clears their plates," Jenny instructed. "The sooner we get things cleaned up and stacked in the dishwasher, the sooner we can have pudding cake."

"Yay! Cake!" Maggie cheered.

The Ellisons and the Sandburgs went about the business of clearing the table and cleaning the kitchen as darkness fell outside. Anyone passing by on foot would have heard the clink of dishes and the pleasant chatter of family.

* * *

_**AN:** This is a short chapter, I know, but it's my fave so far. I had so much fun with the conversations around the table, Jim being the rule maker as always._

_I'm still trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up. LOL! Seriously, though, for as long as I can remember I most wanted to be a writer. I was always penning little stories, most of which I never finished. I gave up on that dream a long time ago, but now here I am writing more than I ever have. And while some people may say it's "just fan fic", I say all writing is good and if even one person enjoys what I've thought up, it's worth it. So thanks for your continued support, faithful readers. You make all my dreams come true!_

_And Smiles2Go, the dishwasher shout-out was just for you!_


	6. How I Met Your Mother

**How I Met Your Mother**

_Jenny was stuck at school for parent-teacher conferences and Blair was taking advantage of her absence to help the kids put together an anniversary card. Maggie had of course insisted on being involved, so he was babysitting as well, allowing Jim and Julie to spend some quality time together. Blair looked down at the kitchen table in despair. Somehow this very simple project had expanded to involve glitter, glue, decorative edged scissors, and dry macaroni._

_ "How long have you and Mom been married?" Jamie asked, carefully cutting out a heart._

_ "Twelve years," Blair replied, not quite believing it. Had it really been so long? At the same time it didn't feel long enough. His life had changed so much in those twelve years and he was grateful for every moment._

_ "Did you have dates, Uncle Chief?" Maggie asked._

_ Blair grinned at his niece. She was liberally dusted with pink glitter and he knew he'd have to give her a bath before he sent her home._

_ "Sure did. Good ones, too."_

_ "Did you take Mommy to the movies?" Jacob asked._

_ Blair pulled out a chair and sat down, three pairs of eyes watching him expectantly; they could always tell when he slipped into storytelling mode._

_ "Would you like to hear the story of how I met your mother?"_

_ "Yes!" cried a pair of eager voices._

_ "She's not my mommy," Maggie clarified, always a stickler for details._

_ Blair tugged one of her pigtails. "No, she's not. But this is also the story of how Aunt Jenny, your dad and I became a family."_

_ "Okay," Maggie said agreeably._

_ "Well, then. It all started with a case…"_

*o*o*o*

Blair had been a private investigator for almost nine months and still hadn't gotten over the thrill of it. He loved to flash his credentials – he'd worked to perfect the casual flip of his ID wallet – and he loved the custom business cards emblazoned with _J&B Investigations_, and his own name right beside Jim's.

Even better was finally being on equal footing with Jim. No more being told to wait in the truck, or reminded that he wasn't a cop. It was harder for Jim to come to grips with the change – Protect the Guide was still his primary imperative – but he visibly made the effort not to nag about it when Blair went out solo. Today for instance, Blair was leaving the office to conduct some interviews at Cascade High School and Jim was playing it cool.

"No hitting on the co-eds, Chief," he joked. Blair could plainly see how tightly his fists were clenched on the top of his desk.

"I'm not a perv, Jim," he said. "And I'll be fine. It's just interviews."

"It's never _just_ anything with you, Sandburg."

Blair stood beside Jim and rubbed his back until he'd unclenched his hands. The sheepish look on his face just made his Guide chuckle.

"I choose to ignore that." He gathered up his backpack and checked to make sure he had everything he needed. "I'll call you when I'm done, okay?"

"Good luck, Chief."

*o*o*o*

Blair was interviewing the staff at the high school on behalf of their new client, Howard Treskin. Howard had been suspended without pay from the school, where he was a science teacher, pending an investigation into stolen school property – namely chemicals from the science lab and money from the sophomore class for which he was the advisor. Howard maintained that we was being set up and didn't trust the Board of Education to do the right thing.

Blair had to tread carefully. The Superintendent had been reluctant to allow him on site, particularly when they were running their own independent internal investigation. He was confined to the teacher's lounge, striking up casual conversations with anyone who came in.

"Treskin is an ass," said Brent Cammer, one of the two physical education teachers. He wore the standard uniform – t-shirt, polyester athletic pants, and a whistle around his beefy neck.

"Why do you say that?" Blair stirred sugar into his fourth cup of mediocre coffee; he was going to be up all night at this rate.

"Thought he was better than the rest of us," Brent replied with a derisive sniff. "Like brains are everything."

_Big dumb jock_, Blair thought to himself.

"Don't be catty, Brent," a female voice said.

Blair hadn't been paying attention and missed the new arrival. She was sitting at the large round table, pulling her lunch from a plain brown bag. She was cute, that was the first thing she noticed; shoulder length auburn hair held back by a black hairband, big eyes that seemed to fall somewhere in the spectrum of blue-green, a heart-shaped face devoid of makeup.

He immediately forgot about the burly phys ed teacher and took a seat at the table.

"Blair Sandburg, J&B Investigations." He flipped the ID and somehow sent it sailing across the table, straight toward the woman's open bottle of water. He made an abortive movement to grab it, but the woman nimbly moved her water and caught the ID just before it hit the floor.

"I think your technique needs some work," she said with a grin, handing the wallet back. "Jenny Miles, high school English."

"Don't go covering Howie's ass," Brent said to her on his way out the door. "He's got it coming."

Jenny just rolled her eyes. "Did you bring lunch, Mr. Sandburg?"

"It's Blair. And no, I'm gonna grab something on my way back to the office." He grinned and shrugged, not wanting to admit he was starving.

"Take this." Jenny pushed an apple towards him. "I have plenty, and you need something to combat that coffee."

"Thanks," he replied. "So, how well do you know Howard?"

Jenny pulled little pieces off her tuna sandwich and popped them in her mouth. "As well as I know anyone here, I guess. He can be supercilious at times, but he truly does want his students to succeed."

Blair took a bite of the apple, a nice crisp Golden Delicious, and waited for Jenny to go on.

"You know he used to work for NASA, right?"

Blair nodded.

"I imagine that must be difficult, going from such a high-profile position to a high school."

"It's not easy trying to engage students these days," Blair agreed. "Most of them seem to want to just coast along."

Jenny looked surprised. "Are you a teacher, too?"

"I was. Anthropology at Rainier."

"Of course! Now I know why you look so familiar. I saw your press conference on television."

Blair would never forget that day, how close he'd come to losing everything important in his life. Having so much support, especially from Jim, had been overwhelming and wonderful. It had been the final assurance he'd needed that this was where he belonged.

"How did you get into the PI business?"

"It was a pretty natural transition, really. My partner, Jim, has never liked being in the spotlight. And there was some fall-out from the whole mess, which wasn't unexpected, but it made his job harder." Blair took another bite of the apple. "Jim liked being a cop but he felt it was time for a change. This way we still help people but it's on our own terms."

"And now you're trying to help Howard."

"Do you think he's responsible for the thefts?"

Jenny looked thoughtful and Blair appreciated that she was taking her time and not just giving him a knee-jerk reaction. "Honestly? No, I don't. He can be arrogant and obnoxious, but he really cares about the kids. He wouldn't steal from them."

Blair made some notes to that effect. "Can you think of anyone who might want Howard to take the rap for this?"

Jenny snorted. "Have you _talked_ to anyone else today? Most of the other teachers hate him."

Blair nodded. "Yeah, that does give us a pretty deep pool of suspects."

Jenny checked the time and started cleaning up her lunch. "I have to go; I have a student coming in before class for extra help."

"Thanks for the apple and the information." Blair stood and pulled a business card from his pocket. "If you think of anything that might be useful, please give me a call."

She took the card and favored him with a smile. "Good luck with your investigation, Blair."

He watched her leave, and hoped she'd call. He certainly wouldn't mind talking to Jenny Miles again.

*o*o*o*

Blair hung up the phone with a hoot of excitement. "Good news!"

"You don't say?" Jim grinned.

Blair turned off his computer. "Come on, man. We have an appointment."

"Let me guess." Jim sat back in his chair and tapped a finger on his chin. "That was a call from your mom and she's got some kind of meditation thing she wants us to go to. No, wait. It was…Glenda. At the realty office. About that house you're so hot to see."

"You know, you're a pain in the ass sometimes."

"Only sometimes? Must be getting soft in my old age." Jim pushed back form the desk. "Let's go. We can get an early dinner on the way back."

Blair spent the twenty minute drive waxing poetic about the house. He'd seen a picture of it one of the realty magazines and instantly fell in love. Though he already owned half the loft, and loved it, he felt it was time to move on to a bigger space, and a bedroom larger than a pantry closet. Getting Jim on board hadn't been easy. Neither of them wanted to stop being roommates but even Jim had to agree that Blair couldn't live in that tiny room forever.

The bigger issue was that Blair wanted to settle down, do the whole marriage and family thing. The loft made a pretty good bachelor pad but he wouldn't be able to conduct proper courtship rituals there. On the other hand, he needed to be close to Jim because being a Guide was a 24/7 proposition.

The Sentinel, on the other hand, had made it clear that he had no interest in getting married again, or even getting serious with another woman. Between his work and dealing with the Sentinel stuff, he claimed there wasn't anything left for a healthy relationship. Blair continued to argue that point, but as always it was like talking to a block of marble.

"I think you're gonna like this, big guy," he said now. "Fresh air, green grass. I have a good feeling about it."

"A regular feeling or a Shaman feeling?" Jim asked, shooting a quick look at Blair.

"Hmm. Little of both maybe."

"Okay." Jim nodded, his focus back on the road.

"We should be getting…there it is!"

Jim pulled the truck up to a handsome two story home with a wrap-around porch and detached garage. The yard was a little overgrown, but nothing too bad. There was a half acre of property, according to the ad Blair had read, and at the far edge of it was a slightly dilapidated barn, small enough for this to have once been a gentleman's farm.

There was a car in the driveway with the realtor's logo on the doors, and a For Sale sign sat close to the road. Blair hopped out of the truck and took it all in. He was definitely getting good vibes from the place.

"This is perfect, Jim! I can't believe how perfect!"

"Yeah, well, you better ratchet that down, Chief," Jim advised. "The realtor hears that and you'll be paying through the nose."

His warning came just in time. The front door of the house opened and a woman appeared, wearing a hideous, boxy green blazer with the realtor's logo on the breast pocket. Blair recognized her immediately.

"Jenny Miles?"

"You know each other?" Jim asked curiously.

"Mr. Sandburg, how nice to see you again."

"Jenny teaches at the high school," Blair explained. "And apparently sells real estate too."

Jenny grinned. "You may not have heard, but teachers are woefully underpaid. My cousin owns the realty office and I work there most weekends."

Jim and Jenny shook hands. "Jim Ellison. Blair's my partner."

"Very nice to meet you. So, you two are interested in this property?"

Before Blair could launch into an enthusiastic diatribe on why the house was so perfect, Jim grabbed hold of his arm.

"We've just started looking. Not sure we're ready to buy just yet."

Jenny gave him an appraising look, seemingly ignoring the strangled sounds Blair was making. She nodded.

"Well, you've picked a good one to start with. Close enough to the city for commuting, but here you've got a yard and trees. Unlike the suburbs, your neighbors aren't right on top of you, so you've got plenty of privacy."

Blair watched Jim, who was playing it way cooler than he'd have been able to do. It was all he could do not to whoop his excitement. Fresh air, privacy – it was perfect for a Sentinel.

"Let me show you the house first." Jenny led them in through the front. "It's been very well maintained, as you can see. Four bedrooms, two and a half baths. The basement is semi-finished and could provide an additional living space."

"Appliances are old," Jim said when they got to the kitchen. "How's the wiring?"

"The wiring is fine; we had everything inspected prior to listing the property." Jenny leaned against the counter. "There's a lot here that could be improved, though, if you were interested in renovations."

"Hmm," was all Jim had to say. Blair, however, was already constructing lists in his head of things he would change. The Formica countertops, for example, would be the first things to go.

Jenny took them through every room in the house, pointed out every closet, and took them into both the attic and the basement. Jim made plenty of comments, asked questions, and managed to sound only mildly interested the whole time. It became increasingly difficult for Blair to rein in his own excitement, and when Jenny took them out to inspect the barn he couldn't hold back anymore.

"Oh, man, Jim! This is great! We could turn this into a great place for you!"

Jim sighed and rolled his eyes, but Blair could see the appreciative way he was looking around. The core construction looked pretty solid; add in lots of windows and it would make a nice, open two-story apartment.

"Oh," Jenny said, looking confused. "I thought you were…um…_partners_."

"We are," Jim replied. "We run an investigation business together."

"Oh, right. Of course." The realtor blushed prettily, and so did Blair when he realized she thought he and Jim were lovers.

"She just got hopeful again," Jim murmured in his ear.

"What?"

"She _likes_ you."

"What?" Blair looked over at Jenny, who was standing by the barn door looking back towards the house, obviously trying to give them some privacy. He couldn't deny feeling an attraction, but he'd become much choosier with his female conquests lately. As he'd recently admitted to Jim, he wanted to find someone to settle down with, someone who would understand the Guide's need to be near his Sentinel. It wasn't the kind of relationship just anyone would be able to live with.

"So what do you guys think?" Jenny asked, coming back over.

Blair gestured vaguely with one arm. "What do _you_ think? About turning this into a living space?"

"Me? I think it would be very well suited to that. The structure itself is sound. I'd put in a lot of windows and keep an open living area downstairs, bedrooms upstairs." Jenny's eyes sparkled as she looked around, pointing things out. "I'd keep it on the rustic side – hardwood floors, exposed beams. Maybe some skylights."

"You should ask her out," Jim advised under his breath. "I like her."

That took Blair by surprise. Jim had always been polite to his girlfriends, but had never hit it off with any of them. He chose to believe that was a sign.

"It sounds like you've given this some thought," he said to Jenny.

"I have to admit, this is my favorite house out of all the ones we're currently listing. It just has such potential, you know?" she admitted somewhat abashedly.

Time to turn on the Sandburg charm. "Tell you what, why don't you share your ideas for the house renovation with me over dinner. If you're free, of course."

"Does that mean you want the house?"

"Does that mean you'll go to dinner with me?"

Jim shook his head. "Yes, we're interested in the house. See if you can talk the owner down at least five grand and that'll be our offer."

Blair gave his friend a quick, fierce hug. "Really? You really like it? I knew you would, man! This is gonna be great!"

"Whoa, take a breath Chief. It's not ours yet."

"It will be. I've got a feeling about this place, remember?" As far as he was concerned everything else was just paperwork; this place was his now, his and Jim's.

"Wonderful!" Jenny shook their hands, holding Blair's just a few seconds too long.

"So. Dinner?"

"Yes. Dinner. We can celebrate my nice, fat commission." Jenny grinned. "Shall we go back to the office? There's some paperwork you'll need to fill out."

"Let's get it done!"

*o*o*o*

Two weeks later, things between Jenny and Blair were progressing nicely. Even more importantly, the owner had accepted their offer on the house and Jim could finally let himself get excited about it. Blair had been right, it was perfect for him. Fresh air, peace and quiet, and a place of his own still close enough to his Guide to keep him at ease. Plus, he was really getting into the remodel plans for his barn.

Jim was glad that his friend and partner was getting the chance to have the life he wanted. A home, a family – it seemed like everything was coming together. He sure as hell deserved it, after everything he'd been through. And Jim genuinely liked Jenny. She was funny, kind-hearted, intelligent, and she didn't take any crap from anyone.

"So you think she's the one?" Simon asked over their bi-weekly lunch.

"Yeah, maybe." Jim poked at his grilled chicken salad; he'd promised Blair to start eating healthier, which meant less red meat and no Wonderburger. "She's perfect for Sandburg. As long as he doesn't screw it up, she could be in it for the long haul."

"Hmm." Simon sipped his coffee. "Does she know about you?"

"It's only been a couple weeks, Simon. He's gotta work up to it, you know?"

"Well, sure. But if he gets too attached and then lays all that Sentinel stuff on her, it'll be harder for him if she says no."

Jim sighed. "I know. Just keep your fingers crossed, okay?"

"You'll keep me posted, right?"

"You just want to be the top grape in the vine," Jim chuckled.

"I try, but there's no beating Rhonda. That woman has sources that would put the mob to shame."

The two men finished their lunch, chatting about current cases and upcoming trials while Jim tried not to lust too much after Simon's pastrami on rye. By the time he got back to the office it was well on its way towards two o'clock. There was a note from Jace, whom they'd recently hired part-time to do paperwork and research, saying he was out at the courthouse tracking down a deed. Jim was surprised that Blair wasn't back yet, but couldn't begrudge him a long lunch when he'd just had one himself.

A half hour later he was starting to get worried. He called Blair's cell but it went right to voicemail. He thought about calling Jenny, but he didn't want to seem like he was checking up on them. She saved him the trouble by calling first.

"J&B Investigations, this is Jim."

"Jim?" He went on immediate Sentinel alert at the shaky sound of her voice.

"Jenny? What's wrong?" He focused on the ambient noise in the background and was instantly on his feet. "Are you at the hospital?"

"There was a car…we were in an accident. Blair's in surgery."

"Sit tight. I'm on my way. Okay?"

"Okay," she replied with a sniffle.

Jim was fairly certain he broke the sound barrier getting to Cascade General. Once there he was directed to the second floor waiting room, where he found Jenny huddled into a ball on one of the orange pleather chairs. She had a bandage across one cheek, another on her hand, and was spattered with blood. Jim did a quick Sentinel scan, noting bruises but no broken bones and no internal injuries.

"You okay, Jenny?" he asked, approaching slowly so as not to startle her. At the sound of his voice she looked up, relief washing over her face.

"Jim! Thank God!"

He barely registered the fact that she was moving and then suddenly his arms were full of slightly shaken high school English teacher.

"It all happened so fast! He was dropping me off after lunch. We were at the intersection by my apartment, you know the one, and the light turned green and we moved forward and suddenly there was another car, it just rammed right into the side. Blair's side."

Jim held her tightly as the story spilled out, easily picturing it in his mind.

"Blair hit his head, hit is so _hard_, and there was _so_ much blood. I tried to move, tried to do something, but I couldn't get out of the damn seatbelt. I held his hand until the paramedics came. All I could do was hold his hand. He was unconscious the whole time, he didn't even know I was there."

"Okay, sweetheart. It's okay." Jim tried to emulate his Guide and used his most soothing tone. "It's okay."

Jenny pulled back and looked at him, eyes still a little wild; her hands were fisted into his shirt. "It was Paul Barrow. I saw him, I know his car. It was Paul."

"Who's Paul Barrow?"

"Science teacher. He's Howard's replacement, he'll get tenure now that Howard's gone."

Jim's jaw clenched in anger. He could see all too well what had happened, and knew the case against Treskin could now be considered closed. He pulled out his cell phone while simultaneously moving Jenny back to her chair.

"Sit down, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere, I just need to make a call."

"Is it Simon? Are you calling Simon?"

"Yes. We'll make sure he gets Paul, okay? And then we'll find out about Blair."

Jim made the call and explained the situation. Simon promised to personally bring in Barrow and then he'd come by the hospital. Jim thanked him and paused before slipping the phone back into his pocket.

"Is there someone you need to call?" he asked Jenny, sitting beside her. She immediately clutched his hand.

"No. Not now. I'll call my sisters later. None of them live in Cascade, there's nothing they can do."

"Okay. We'll call them later."

"How's Blair? Can you hear anything?"

Jim looked at her, startled. "What?"

"They won't tell me anything. I'm not _family_," she said with a sneer. "But I know you can find out."

"Jenny…"

"He told me. He told me everything. Please, is he okay?"

Jim looked away from her pleading green eyes and nodded. He cocked his head slightly to the side and dialed up hearing. He sorted through a myriad of hospital sounds – beeping machines, muttered conversations, squeaky carts, weeping families – until he found his Guide's heartbeat. He was relieved to hear its steady rhythm, and tried to focus in on what the people around Blair were saying.

"Jim? Is he okay?" Jenny whispered. Jim was grateful to her for keeping her voice down and pulled himself back, dropping hearing down to normal levels.

"He's gonna be fine," Jim said with a grin. "They were able to stop the bleeding and relieve the pressure. He's got a really hard head, you know. They're moving him to a room and someone will be with us soon."

"Thank God. Oh, thank God." Jenny rested her forehead on Jim's shoulder and took a deep, shuddering breath. "I won't tell anyone, Jim, I swear I won't. I promised Blair."

"Are you okay with all this, Jenny?" Jim asked a little anxiously. "Because if you're not…"

"I love him," Jenny said abruptly. "I know we haven't known each other very long, but I do. And that means I love the Guide, too."

"And the Sentinel?"

"Well, gee, Jim. Don't you think you should at least take me to dinner first?"

Jim gaped at her, but Jenny started to laugh. "Oh, ow! No laughing." She wrapped an arm around her ribs.

"Maybe they'd better take another look at your head," Jim teased, relieved. "I think you're hysterical."

"No help for that, buddy. I was born that way."

They were both laughing when the doctor came to update them on Blair's condition.

*o*o*o*

Four days later Jim was making his world-famous marinara sauce with Jenny acting as his sous chef. Blair watched them from his seat at the table, not quite believing what he was seeing. His grouchy, self-contained Sentinel was joking and smiling. Jim and Jenny teased each other like old friends. It was astonishing to Blair, who knew how long it took the man to warm up to new people. To see him accept Jenny this way was nothing short of a miracle.

"Can you smell it?" she asked, hiding one hand behind her back.

"Oregano," Jim replied. "Pass me the garlic, little sister."

_Little sister_? Blair's eyes widened at that. It sounded like Jim was admitting Jenny into the coveted inner circle of his tribe. Whatever bonding they'd done at the hospital must've been exceptional. Particularly since Jim was playing along with Jenny's impromptu sensory tests with unusual equanimity. She said something Blair couldn't hear and Jim burst out laughing.

"Hey, come on you two," he whined. "Let the poor wounded guy in on the joke."

"Maybe the poor wounded guy _is_ the joke," Jim said.

"No picking on Blair, Jimmy," Jenny scolded. _Jimmy? Had he woken up in some kind of alternate reality?_ "He needs more time for his brain to settle."

"Oh yeah, real nice." Blair rolled his eyes as Jim chuckled. Jenny came over and pressed a kiss on his bandaged forehead.

"Relax, Chief. You'll be handsomely compensated; Jenny made a strawberry tart for dessert."

"Is there any reason you two are plying me with food?" Blair asked suspiciously. "Are you running off to the Cayman Islands together or something?"

Jenny sighed and shook her head. "Not much of an anthropologist if you can't recognize a courtship ritual."

Blair found himself at a loss for words, a rare occurrence indeed. Jim must've sensed a change in his heart rate, because he wiped his hands on a dishtowel and came to the table, sitting in the chair next to him.

"We're not trying to spring anything on you, Sandburg."

"Oh yes we are!" Jenny contradicted. She plunked herself down in Blair's lap. "Life's too short, Blair. And I don't want to waste it, not now that I've found you. So you better tell me now if you're not planning on marrying me."

Blair stared at Jenny, then turned to look at Jim; his partner was beaming as if all this had been his idea. "Um…"

Jenny started to look uncertain. "I know you're into this mystical Sentinel stuff, so you should be able to see the signs."

"Signs?"

"You had a feeling about the house, remember? And it's my favorite too. Plus, what were the odds of us meeting twice like that?"

"Jenny…"

"And I'm _so_ okay with the Sentinel thing. I think it's amazing, the way you and Jimmy work together, and I understand your need to be close, I really do."

"Jenny…"

"Plus, it's like he's the brother I never had. I honestly adore him. And I love you, I love you _so much_. I know this is all happening fast, but some things do, don't they?"

"Just kiss her, Chief," Jim suggested. So that's exactly what he did.

*o*o*o*

_"And then what?" Jamie asked._

_ "And then I asked your mom to marry me, she said yes, and we ate dinner." Blair grinned; he loved that story. "And we all lived happily ever after."_

_ "Does your head still hurt, Uncle Chief?" Maggie asked, looking very concerned. _

_ "It's all better now," he assured her. "But if you look close you can see a little scar."_

_ And of course all three of them huddled up, looking for the tiny scar on Blair's forehead and getting excited when they found it; it was the only proof they needed that the story they'd just heard was true._

_ "Did Uncle Simon get the bad guy?" Jacob asked._

_ "He sure did. And Mr. Treskin got his job back."_

_ "And then you had kids," Jamie reminded him._

_ "Sure did. Two wonderful sons."_

_ "And me!" Maggie piped up._

_ "Two wonderful sons, and a pretty little niece," he amended._

_ "What happens next?" Jacob asked._

_ "Next we clean up this mess before Mommy comes home. And I know one little girl who needs a bath."_

_ "Can Jakers come too?"_

_ "Yes, Jakers can come too."_

_ Jamie set the card aside and started gathering up the little bits of cut paper. "Mom's pretty special, right Dad?"_

_ Blair grinned at his oldest son. "You have no idea, buddy."_

* * *

_**AN:** I thought it might be fun to take a look back and see how Jenny and Blair hooked up. There wasn't originally any Blair whump involved, but then I figured that might provide some good bonding moments for Jenny and Jim. Sorry about that, Chief! LOL!_


	7. Take Your Daughter To Work Day

**Take Your Daughter to Work Day**

Jim picked up the phone, answering the call that had been transferred up. "This is Jim Ellison…Yes…I'll be right down."

"What's up?" Blair asked as his partner hung up the phone and grabbed his jacket.

"That was the school. The third grade had a science experiment go wrong or something. Unplanned fire drill." He slipped his jacket on and buttoned up against the cold that waited for him outside.

"You want me to come?"

"No, it's alright. I'll take Maggie home and get her settled." Jim patted himself down – keys, wallet, sidearm. Check. Blair leaned forward on his desk, concern plainly showing on his expressive face.

"Try to keep her in her room, where the stimulation is lowest. Oh, and there's a lavender rice pack in your kitchen. Nuke it for two minutes and have Maggie put it over her eyes. It'll help with the headache."

"I've got it. Check in with you later, Chief."

Jim hurried down the stairs from what had once been his bedroom and was now an office he shared with Blair. When they'd turned their old home into J&B Investigations, they'd also purchased the apartment next door and put in a connecting door; the other side handled Watchman Enterprises, the Sentinel arm of their business.

He waved at Gerald as he headed out the door. Gerald was their office manager, a Sentinelite who had enhanced hearing and exceptional typing skills. He kept things running smoothly for both sides of the business, dealt well with the other Sentinelites that came in for help, and made really good coffee.

It wasn't a long drive to the school but Jim had to take it slow in deference to the snowy road conditions. February in Cascade meant either snow or ice, and he was glad to have the former. He was also glad the school nurse had called and not just tried to deal with Maggie on her own. His daughter's sensitive hearing meant that the shrill peal of the fire alarm would throw her right into a painful migraine; they'd learned that back in September. Now Maggie was notified prior to impending drills so she could dial down.

Jim parked as close to the entrance as he could and waited impatiently to be buzzed into the building. He'd already isolated Maggie's heartbeat, which was running a bit fast, and knew she was in the nurse's office which was right next to the main office. She was lying on one of the beds, her face pressed into the pillow, but he could clearly hear her crying.

"Mr. Ellison, thanks for coming so quickly." The nurse, Mrs. Makely, kept her voice hushed as she stood up behind her small desk. "Maggie's having a hard time."

"Has she been sick at all?"

"She's had some nausea, but so far she's been hanging in there."

Jim nodded and sat down at the end of the bed. He put his hand on his daughter's back, gently rubbing, but he didn't try to talk to her. Mrs. Makely had been good enough to dim the lights and pull the blind over the single window, but there was still too much noise from the surrounding offices and classrooms.

"Daddy?" Maggie lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow, pain lines around her eyes and mouth. "I want Jaime!"

Jim had been expecting that and tried not to take it personally. Jamie was Maggie's Guide and as such he could almost instantly help her feel better. There was a five year age gap between them, though, which limited Jamie's accessibility and would only continue to do so in the future. They'd all worked with Maggie to make her as self-sufficient as possible, but clearly that wouldn't work all the time.

"Jamie's at school, sweetheart. I'm gonna take you home." He kept his voice as low as possible, but didn't go sub-vocal in front of the nurse.

Maggie started to cry again, but she let her father get her into her coat and hat and boots. Jim signed the form the nurse held out to him, then scooped his daughter and her pink camouflage backup up in his arms. Mrs. Makely patted Maggie on the shoulder.

"Feel better," she whispered.

"Keep your eyes closed," Jim instructed softly. He knew the sunlight reflecting on the snow would blast her headache into the stratosphere. He quickly got her bundled into the truck after a debate with himself over whether or not to let her lay down on the backseat; fear won out as it always did and so she was safely secured in her booster seat.

Jim drove home just as slowly as he'd driven to school, and made a mental note to put one of Blair's white noise CDs in the truck; it would've helped to have the ocean wave or falling rain sounds to help Maggie block out the traffic noise.

The next obstacle was the dog. Rinny was inside because of the weather, but he had a very loud, insistent bark. Maggie whimpered and pressed her face into Jim's neck as he got her out of the truck.

"Where's your dial at, sweetheart?" he asked. She just shook her head. Jim carried her to their house, the converted barn that sat the edge of the property that also contained Blair and Jenny's house. He was happy to get more space between them and the barking.

"I want Jamie," Maggie said again, her voice small and choked with tears. Jim carried her up to her room and set her on the bed, helping her out of her coat and boots.

"I know you do. But he has to stay in school, remember?" He turned on the white noise generators. They were generally superfluous these days – Maggie had learned to tune them out – but in the condition she was in right now they'd help cut back on ambient noise.

"Where's your dial at, Maggie?"

"I don't know," she whined.

"You have to turn it down. Just like Uncle Chief showed you." Jim could feel his own headache starting to throb. Maybe he should've brought Blair after all, he was so much better at this. And really, a Guide would be so much more helpful to her right now.

"I'm sorry, Daddy."

Jim sat next to her on the bed and pulled her into his lap. "You don't have to be sorry, princess. I know your head hurts."

He ran his hand over the back of her head, knocking against one of her braids. All that hair being pulled tight probably wasn't helping, so he carefully removed the elastics and finger-combed her light brown hair out into soft waves. Maggie sighed as some of the tension left her.

"I can see the dial, Daddy."

"How high is it?"

"Eight."

"That's pretty high. Can you turn it down to four?" Jim rubbed her back, and could feel when she became a bit more relaxed. "Good girl."

"When is Mommy coming home?"

"She'll be here tonight," Jim promised. Julie was in Seattle, meeting with the Starbucks people for a possible job on their new ad campaign. If she got it, it would be her first nation-wide account, and they were all keeping their fingers crossed. Luckily she could do most of that work from home; Jim didn't like it when she was too far away.

"Why don't you put your jammies on and I'll get you some juice."

"Can I have chocolate milk?"

"Sure."

"In my princess cup?"

"Of course." Jim would agree to anything at this point, just to keep her calm. While she got changed he went downstairs. A thorough search of the kitchen yielded no princess cup; it was probably over at Blair's. She'd have to make do with Superman. He sniffed out the lavender rice bag and tossed it into the microwave as instructed, letting it heat up while he fixed the chocolate milk. He carried both upstairs, where he found Maggie curled up on her bed wearing her blue butterfly nightgown.

"That's the wrong cup, Daddy."

"I think you left the princess cup over at the other house. You can use this one."

Maggie tried for a pout but she was clearly exhausted and still in pain. Jim let her drink half the milk, then had her lie down and put the warm, lightly-scented rice bag over her eyes.

"Smells pretty," she mumbled.

"It'll help you feel better."

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too, princess." Jim's chest tightened just a little as he looked down at his daughter. He wished he could take all her pain away and felt guilty that she had to suffer this way at all; he cursed the Sentinel gene he'd unwittingly passed along to his only child. He checked his watch; only four more hours until his nephews would be home from school. Surely he could handle that.

"Can you tell me a memory?" Maggie asked.

Jim settled back against the headboard. "Which memory?"

"When I was borned and Uncle Chief kissed the nurse."

He grinned. "Okay, let's see. How many years ago was that? Ten? Eleven?"

"Only five, Daddy."

"That's all? Well, I remember it like it was yesterday. Mommy and Aunt Jenny had been shopping, buying clothes for you and for Jacob. He was just a baby then, too."

"I'm the littlest."

"That's right. Mommy went into labor at the mall and by the time Uncle Chief and I got to the hospital you were almost born. You came much faster than the doctors thought you would."

"Cause Jamie was there and I wanted to see him?"

Jim grinned. Given the bond between his nephew and his daughter, he wouldn't be a bit surprised. "I'm sure that's why. Aunt Jenny held Mommy's hand and I watched you come into the world, all red and scrunchy. And when they said you were a girl, Uncle Chief grabbed the nurse and kissed her right on the lips, he was so excited."

That day would be forever burned into his memory. The man who thought he'd never want or need a family of his own was suddenly holding his tiny, newborn daughter. It had been overwhelming; Blair may have been over the top with his enthusiasm, but Jim had been an emotional wreck. He'd never thought he could love someone as much as he did that little girl, or worry so much about screwing up someone else's life.

"And everyone loved me right away?"

Jim lifted the rice bag and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Even the nurse you peed on when they took you to get cleaned up."

"Eeew!"

It wasn't much longer before Maggie fell asleep. Jim took the rest of her milk back to the kitchen and put it in the fridge. He did some unnecessary cleaning, keeping one ear on Maggie in case she woke up and needed him.

For forty-five minutes he puttered around the house, feeling increasingly unsettled. It took him a while to realize that it wasn't just worry for his daughter that had him on edge. He went out the front door and stood there a moment, looking across the yard. He did a full sensory scan but nothing seemed out of place. The watchful feeling persisted, and there was something familiar about it that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

There was a flash of movement out by the tree and Jim immediately narrowed his focus on it. He couldn't hear a heartbeat, or sense anything at all that would indicate someone was hiding there. And yet he couldn't shake the feeling that someone – or _something_ – was there. More movement, and then he saw it slinking out from behind the tree; a cougar, tawny tail twitching.

Jim and the spirit animal regarded each other for a long moment, then he ducked back in the house and made straight for the phone, which gave one half ring before Jim snatched it up.

"What's happening?" he asked, already knowing who was on the other end.

"We've got a Sentinel, Jim, a full one. He's in rough shape."

Jim could hear the sounds of pounding and yelling in the background. A full Sentinel, the first one since Alex. No wonder he'd been on edge. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"But Maggie…"

"Stay away from him." Jim hung up the phone and took the stairs two at a time. He hated to wake Maggie and drag her back out when she wasn't feeling well, but he wasn't about to leave his Guide alone with a rogue Sentinel, not again. Especially one who sounded so out of control.

To his surprise, Maggie was waiting for him when he got to her room. She'd pulled on sweatpants under her nightgown and had her boots on.

"I'm ready to go, Daddy."

"So I see. How are you feeling?"

"A little better."

Jim crouched down in front of her and did a quick scan. She didn't seem to be in as much pain now, though he was sure she still had a pretty good headache. And despite that he was absolutely certain that they needed to go.

"I'm gonna get you two Children's Tylenol. Wait for me in the kitchen and get your milk out of the fridge, okay?"

Maggie went off without complaint or question, which was out of character for her but Jim could only feel grateful. He felt every second ticking away and the need to be with his Guide just got worse and worse. Maggie chewed the Tylenol with a grimace, and chased them down with the rest of her milk. Jim helped her with her coat and hat, and then they were out the door and in the truck.

"I'm sorry we have to go," Jim apologized.

"It's okay, Daddy. Uncle Chief needs us."

It took all of Jim's strength of will not to press down on the accelerator and rocket towards Prospect Street.

*o*o*o*

Maggie's head was still hurting a lot, but she tried to be a big girl and not let Daddy know. She understood that he needed to be with Uncle Chief, knew somehow that something was happening at Daddy's office. She thought maybe she'd had a dream about it but she couldn't be sure.

Even with her dial set low, she could hear lots of noise coming from the office as they rode up in the elevator. Daddy held her hand too tight but she didn't complain. When they got inside, Maggie was deposited on the couch and told to wait.

"Hey, Maggie," Gerald said. He was always nice to her. "Do you want to color?"

"Okay," she replied with a shrug. He kept coloring books, crayons, and puzzles in his desk drawer. While he went to get them, Maggie watched her dad go over to Uncle Chief and give him a big hug. She didn't know why he was so scared, and that made her scared too.

Gerald returned with coloring books and the big box of crayons that had the sharpener in it. "You've got your pick of superheroes, princesses, and zoo animals."

"What's going on?" she whispered.

Gerald shot a quick look at Uncle Chief and her dad. "A full Sentinel came in. All five senses."

Maggie knew that was important. "He's noisy."

"He sure is. All his senses came online today and he's freaking out."

Maggie could hear that the new Sentinel was in the quiet room next door. She'd been in there once. It was a plain room with lots of padding and stuff to keep the sound out; she could still hear him, though.

"Gerald, can you keep an eye on Maggie?" Daddy and Uncle Chief were standing by the connecting door, and Daddy had a hand on Uncle Chief's back.

"She's fine," Gerald said. "Right, Maggie?"

"Right," she agreed. Daddy smiled at her and then they were next door. She hoped they'd be able to calm the new Sentinel down so he wouldn't make so much noise.

Maggie colored and tried to let the office noises blend into the background. Jace and Ryan were out and she wondered if they were on a case. She wanted to chase bad guys when she got big enough, just like Daddy and Uncle Chief did.

The phone rang a few times and she listened to Gerald schedule appointments. When she got thirsty, she went into the kitchen; Uncle Chief made sure there were always juice boxes in the fridge. As she'd hoped, the noise in the quiet room had stopped.

Maggie didn't know how long she'd been sitting and coloring when someone came through the door. He was dressed in a uniform but it was different from a police uniform. She could hear his heart racing and saw that he looked scared.

"Can I help you?" Gerald asked.

Maggie abandoned the crayons, watching the stranger with interest. There was something familiar about him.

"I…uh…I'm not sure. I mean, I don't know."

"Just take your time, Sir." Maggie knew that Gerald could hear the fast heartbeat too.

"I don't know why I'm here. It's just…I had this feeling and I…I followed it."

"Why don't you have a seat," Gerald said. "Mr. Ellison and Dr. Sandburg are with a client right now, but as soon as they're free they'll see you."

"Yeah, okay." The man sat on the far end of the couch, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. He seemed so upset that Maggie wanted to do something to help him. She wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, but she was sure that didn't count here in Daddy's office. Besides, Gerald was watching.

"Do you want to color?" she asked.

The man lifted his head and looked at her. "What?"

"Coloring is fun. It's boring to just wait."

The man stared at her for a minute, then his lips quirked up in a smile. "Okay."

Maggie scooted closer to him, bringing the crayons and books with her. "I'm using the zoo book, but you can have superheroes."

"Thanks."

Maggie handed him the book and they both colored in silence for a little while. She waited until he seemed more relaxed before she talked to him some more.

"I like your uniform."

"I'm an EMT. Do you know what that is?"

Maggie nodded. "It's someone who rides on the amb'lance, right?"

"That's right. I go to accidents and help people until they get to the hospital. My name's Ray."

"I'm Maggie." She held out her hand and Ray shook it solemnly. Her headache suddenly seemed better and she looked at her new friend more closely. Now she knew what was so familiar about him. He was like Jamie and Uncle Chief. He was a Guide. And there was a Sentinel in the quiet room that she bet needed one.

"Come on." Maggie tugged Ray off the couch. "We have to see my Daddy."

"Maggie, you can't…" Gerald protested.

"He's a Guide," Maggie whispered.

"But…"

"I know the way!" She led Ray through the connecting door to the office where Uncle Chief did his tests. They'd put an extra wall on the bedroom at the top of the stairs to make the quiet room and that's where Maggie took him.

"I don't think we should be in here," Ray protested.

"It's okay. My Daddy's here." She led him up the stairs and knocked on the door. Uncle Chief opened it, looking at her in surprise.

"Mags? What're you doing over here?"

Daddy appeared behind him, glaring over Uncle Chief's shoulder. "Who's this?"

"This is Ray. He's a Guide."

"What?" Uncle Chief looked at Ray, then back down at Maggie. "How do you know?"

She shrugged. "I just do."

"Wait, what's a Guide?" Ray asked.

"Why are you here?" Uncle Chief asked him.

"I honestly don't know. I've had this…I don't know…_weird_ feeling all morning. It's like I felt compelled, somehow. I just headed in this direction and when I saw the sign I knew I was in the right place."

"He's an amb'lance guy," Maggie put in helpfully. "He saves people."

Daddy and Uncle Chief exchanged a look, and then they both moved aside. Uncle Chief gestured for Ray to step inside and Maggie saw no good reason why she couldn't follow. There was a man sitting in the corner of the room and he looked pretty miserable. He only wore a pair of doctor pants and there were lots of scratches on his chest and arms.

"What's wrong with him?" Ray murmured. Maggie noticed that his heart wasn't running so fast anymore.

"His name is Ben and he's having trouble with heightened senses," Uncle Chief explained. "Do you think you can help?"

Ray shook his head. "I don't know what I could do." But even as he said it he made his way across the room and knelt down next to Ben.

"Hey, Ben. My name is Ray. I see you're not feeling well. Can I take a look at these scratches?" He ran his hand down the other man's arm, being careful of where he was bleeding.

Ben lifted his head and looked at Ray, surprised. "Who are _you_?"

"Ray. I'm an EMT. Will you let me help you?"

Maggie wasn't at all surprised when Ben pulled Ray into a hug, though Ray's wide-eyed look of panic made her giggle.

"It's okay," Uncle Chief said. "Touch will help him."

Ray just nodded and hugged Ben back, whispering soothing things to him like Mommy did when Maggie had a tummy ache. Daddy took her hand and walked her downstairs.

"Will Ben be okay now?" she asked.

"I think so. Thanks to you." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "That was quick thinking, bringing Ray here."

Maggie grinned; she liked when Daddy said nice things to her. "He made me feel better, so I thought he could make the Sentinel feel better too."

"That's my girl!"

The upstairs door closed and Uncle Chief came down to join them. "Ray and Ben are getting acquainted. I think we'll put them in the safe house tonight, then have them both come in tomorrow for tests and training."

"Can you teach Ray to be like you?" Maggie asked.

"I think so, Mags. He has a natural affinity for it anyway, that's what drew him here." Uncle Chief put his hand on Maggie's head and the last bit of her headache faded away. "How are _you_ feeling?"

"All better."

"How about you and I go pick up some lunch for everyone," Daddy said. "Are you hungry?"

"_Really_ hungry."

Uncle Chief laughed. "I'll hold down the fort till you get back."

Maggie was pleased to see that Daddy didn't look scared anymore, though he gave Uncle Chief another hug; sometimes Daddy needed a lot of those. She held out her arms and he scooped her up so she could hug him too.

"Okay, Daddy?"

"All better," he replied.

"For true?"

"For true."

Maggie couldn't wait until it was time to pick up Jamie and Jakers. They'd never believe what a cool day she had. Plus, she got to meet another real Sentinel – something she hoped to be one day – and a Guide. Jamie would be so jealous!

"You did good today, kiddo," Daddy said when they got in the truck.

"I know," Maggie said. "Can we get Wonderburger?"

Daddy just laughed, and off they went.

* * *

_**AN:** This wasn't originally in my list of ideas for this universe, but once it popped into my head I couldn't ignore it. This seemed like a good way to show Jim and Maggie's relationship, as well as giving a peek inside the J&B office. Hope you enjoyed!_


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